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The Frontier
The Frontier

Chapter XVI

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Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.
Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.
And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.
Marthe's little sentence evoked that light.
Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Frontier

Chapter XVI

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.
Line 2
Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.
Line 3
And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.
Line 4
Marthe's little sentence evoked that light.
Line 5
Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Amid preposition US /əˈmɪd/

in the middle of; surrounded by

From this reading “And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.”

Beginning noun US /ˈbeginning/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.”

Between preposition US /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading “THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.”

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.”

Seemed noun US /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.”

Silence noun US /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading “Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.”

Terrible noun US /ˈterrible/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.”

Whence adverb US /wens/

an old word meaning “from where”

From this reading “And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.”

All words in this reading · 84

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

adversaries

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

amidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/

in the middle of; surrounded by

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

attitude

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

away

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

beginningnounUS /ˈbeginning/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

better

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

CALVARY

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

Carried

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

clear

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

conciseness

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

convictions

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

Corbier

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

dear

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

discussion

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

doubt

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

duel

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

eagerly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

evoked

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Marthe's little sentence evoked that light.

exuberance

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

fevered

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

flash

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

fought

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

glances

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

held

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

interrupt

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

issue

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

joust

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

knew

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

Le

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

light

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

Marthe's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Marthe's little sentence evoked that light.

Morestal's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

noticed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

opinions

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

oratorical

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

Philippe

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

probe

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

scene

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

seemednounUS /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

sentence

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

set

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

some

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

sort

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

soul

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

STAGES

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

strange

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

superfluous

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

terriblenounUS /ˈterrible/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

two

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

unexpected

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

up

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE STAGES TO CALVARY The little sentence, so terrible in its conciseness, set up a clear issue between the two adversaries.

very

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

whenceadverbUS /wens/

an old word meaning “from where”

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

widened

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Carried away by the exuberance of their convictions, they had widened the discussion into a sort of oratorical joust in which each fought eagerly for the opinions which he held dear.

woman's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.

words

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading And Le Corbier knew better than to interrupt a duel whence he had little doubt that some unexpected light would flash, at last, from amid the superfluous words.

young

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Le Corbier, from the beginning of the scene, had noticed the young woman's strange attitude, her silence, her fevered glances that seemed to probe Philippe Morestal's very soul.