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The Great Pearl Secret
The Great Pearl Secret

Chapter XIII

Chapter 13 of The Great Pearl Secret is here in full — 283 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By C. N. (Charles Norris) Williamson • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Great Pearl Secret
Context Illustration Reading 1/56 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.
Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.
"A pair of dark eyes!"
Simple words, and a simple act.
There are many women in the world with dark eyes, and many had looked at John Manners.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Great Pearl Secret

Chapter XIII

Chapter 13 of The Great Pearl Secret is here in full — 283 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/56 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.
Line 2
Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.
Line 3
"A pair of dark eyes!"
/ə per ʌv dɑːrk aɪz/
Line 4
Simple words, and a simple act.
/ˈsɪmpəl wɜːrdz ənd ə ˈsɪmpəl ækt/
Line 5
There are many women in the world with dark eyes, and many had looked at John Manners.
/ðer ɑːr ˈmeni ˈwɪmən ɪn ðə wɜːrld wɪð dɑːrk aɪz ənd ˈmeni hæd lʊkt æt dʒɑːn ˈmænərz/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

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

drooping adjective US /ˈdruːpɪŋ/

weak from exhaustion

From this reading “Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Duchess noun US /ˈdʌtʃəs/

the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right

From this reading “A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
France noun US /fræns/

a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading “A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
introducing verb US /ˌɪntrəˈduːsɪŋ/

-ing form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally

From this reading “A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mademoiselle noun US /ˌmædəməˈzel/

small silvery drumfish often mistaken for white perch; found along coasts of United States from New York to Mexico

From this reading “A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
manager noun US /ˈmænədʒər/

someone who controls resources and expenditures

From this reading “A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Manners noun US /ˈmænərz/

social deportment

From this reading “A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
woman's noun US /ˈwʊmənz/

possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading “A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

drooping head adjective + noun

In this reading “Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.”

1,165 times in 426,212 chapters
dark eyes noun + noun

In this reading “Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.”

11,643 times in 426,212 chapters
looked at verb + particle counted as “look at”

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “There are many women in the world with dark eyes, and many had looked at John Manners.”

296,767 times in 426,212 chapters
Simple words adjective + noun

In this reading “Simple words, and a simple act.”

1,137 times in 426,212 chapters
in the world preposition + article + noun counted as “in … world”

In this reading “There are many women in the world with dark eyes, and many had looked at John Manners.”

107,541 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 50

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

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 A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
actverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading Simple words, and a simple act.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading There are many women in the world with dark eyes, and many had looked at John Manners.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading There are many women in the world with dark eyes, and many had looked at John Manners.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CaptainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Claremanagh's

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

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

Pending verification
cousinnounUS /ˈkʌzən/

the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
droopingadjectiveUS /ˈdruːpɪŋ/

weak from exhaustion

From this reading Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DuchessnounUS /ˈdʌtʃəs/

the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EYESnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fixedadjectiveUS /fɪkst/

(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value

From this reading Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FrancenounUS /fræns/

a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading There are many women in the world with dark eyes, and many had looked at John Manners.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There are many women in the world with dark eyes, and many had looked at John Manners.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
introducingverbUS /ˌɪntrəˈduːsɪŋ/

-ing form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
liftedadjectiveUS /ˈlɪftəd/

held up in the air

From this reading Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading There are many women in the world with dark eyes, and many had looked at John Manners.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Lyda

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

From this reading Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.

Pending verification
MademoisellenounUS /ˌmædəməˈzel/

small silvery drumfish often mistaken for white perch; found along coasts of United States from New York to Mexico

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
managernounUS /ˈmænədʒər/

someone who controls resources and expenditures

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MannersnounUS /ˈmænərz/

social deportment

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading There are many women in the world with dark eyes, and many had looked at John Manners.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pairnounUS /per/

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

From this reading Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Pavoya

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

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

Pending verification
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SimpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading Simple words, and a simple act.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There are many women in the world with dark eyes, and many had looked at John Manners.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Lyda Pavoya lifted her drooping head a little--only a little, and fixed upon Manners a pair of dark eyes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading There are many women in the world with dark eyes, and many had looked at John Manners.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WOMAN'SnounUS /ˈwʊmənz/

possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading A WOMAN'S EYES "Mademoiselle Pavoya, this is Captain John Manners, just back from France: a cousin of the Duchess of Claremanagh's," said the manager who was introducing Jack.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading There are many women in the world with dark eyes, and many had looked at John Manners.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading Simple words, and a simple act.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading There are many women in the world with dark eyes, and many had looked at John Manners.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 13 of The Great Pearl Secret by C. N. (Charles Norris) Williamson holds 283 sentences, grouped into 57 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 13 of The Great Pearl Secret contain?

Chapter 13 holds 283 sentences of The Great Pearl Secret, unabridged, divided into 57 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of The Great Pearl Secret by C. N. (Charles Norris) Williamson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 283 sentences, grouped into 57 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 13 of The Great Pearl Secret?

Work through the 57 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 57 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Great Pearl Secret

Common questions about reading The Great Pearl Secret by C. N. (Charles Norris) Williamson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Great Pearl Secret?

Yes. All 4436 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56470 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Great Pearl Secret is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #56470, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Great Pearl Secret take to read?

About 369 minutes of reading across 888 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Great Pearl Secret section by section

How to work through The Great Pearl Secret section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 22 chapters of The Great Pearl Secret to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Great Pearl Secret

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Great Pearl Secret, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Opened
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Pearl Secret; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Leading
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Pearl Secret; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bedroom
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Pearl Secret; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Salon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Pearl Secret; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.