The great Roxhythe

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The great Roxhythe is here in full — 727 sentences across 146 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Georgette Heyer • Curated US English Learning Edition

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MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.

The room was furnished sumptuously and was much gilded.

M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan.

In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XIV Reading 1/145

The great Roxhythe Georgette Heyer

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The great Roxhythe is here in full — 727 sentences across 146 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan. The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte. The room was furnished sumptuously and was much gilded. M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan. In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

The great Roxhythe

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The great Roxhythe is here in full — 727 sentences across 146 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/145 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

Line 2

The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.

Line 3

The room was furnished sumptuously and was much gilded.

Line 4

M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan.

Line 5

In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

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.

divan noun US /dɪˈvæn/

a long backless sofa (usually with pillows against a wall)

From this reading “M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan.”

gilded adjective US /ˈɡɪldɪd/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading “The room was furnished sumptuously and was much gilded.”

Louvre noun US /ˈluːvrə/

an art museum that is a famous tourist attraction in Paris

From this reading “MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.”

satin noun US /ˈsætən/

a smooth fabric of silk or rayon; has a glossy face and a dull back

From this reading “M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan.”

swathed verb US /swɑːðd/

past form of “swathe” — wrap in swaddling clothes

From this reading “M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan.”

ushered verb US /ˈʌʃərd/

past form of “usher” — take (someone) to their seats, as in theaters or auditoriums

From this reading “The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.”

valet noun US /væˈleɪ/

a manservant who acts as a personal attendant to his employer

From this reading “In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.”

wrapper noun US /ˈræpər/

a loose dressing gown for women

From this reading “M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan.”

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.

ushered into verb + particle counted as “usher into”

In this reading “The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.”

at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.”

private room adjective + noun

In this reading “The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.”

swathed in verb + particle counted as “swathe in”

In this reading “M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan.”

knelt at verb + particle counted as “kneel at”

In this reading “In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.”

All words in this reading · 63

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 MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

apartmentsnounUS /əˈpɑːrtmənts/

plural of “apartment” — a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

arrivalnounUS /ərˈaɪvəl/

accomplishment of an objective

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.

blazenounUS /bleɪz/

a strong flame that burns brightly

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

Comtenoun

French philosopher remembered as the founder of positivism; he also established sociology as a systematic field of study

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

delicateadjectiveUS /ˈdeləkət/

exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

divannounUS /dɪˈvæn/

a long backless sofa (usually with pillows against a wall)

From this reading M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan.

doorsnounUS /dɔːrz/

plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.

flewverbUS /fluː/

inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.

furnishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɜːrnɪʃt/

provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose (as furniture or equipment or authority)

From this reading The room was furnished sumptuously and was much gilded.

gildedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪldɪd/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading The room was furnished sumptuously and was much gilded.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.

kneltverbUS /nelt/

inflected form of “kneel” — rest one's weight on one's knees

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

lenounUS /lə/

a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

LouvrenounUS /ˈluːvrə/

an art museum that is a famous tourist attraction in Paris

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

MnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

MADAMEnounUS /ˈmædəm/

title used for a married Frenchwoman

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

magnificencenoun

splendid or imposing in size or appearance

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

manicuring

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

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

marvellousadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːrvələs/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan.

monsieur's

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

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading The room was furnished sumptuously and was much gilded.

nailsnounUS /neɪlz/

plural of “nail” — horny plate covering and protecting part of the dorsal surface of the digits

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

ParisnounUS /ˈperɪs/

the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

poemsnounUS /ˈpoʊəmz/

plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

privateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/

confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

From this reading The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.

proceededverbUS /prəˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “proceed” — continue talking

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

reposing

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

From this reading M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.

ROXHYTHE

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

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

Saint-Aignan

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

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

satinnounUS /ˈsætən/

a smooth fabric of silk or rayon; has a glossy face and a dull back

From this reading M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

silken-covered

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

From this reading M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan.

sumptuouslyadverb

in a sumptuous and opulent manner

From this reading The room was furnished sumptuously and was much gilded.

swathedverbUS /swɑːðd/

past form of “swathe” — wrap in swaddling clothes

From this reading M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

usheredverbUS /ˈʌʃərd/

past form of “usher” — take (someone) to their seats, as in theaters or auditoriums

From this reading The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.

valetnounUS /væˈleɪ/

a manservant who acts as a personal attendant to his employer

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The doors flew open before him, and he was ushered into the private room of M. le Comte.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading MADAME ROXHYTHE proceeded to Paris in a blaze of magnificence, and on his arrival went at once to the Louvre, to the apartments of M. le Comte de Saint-Aignan.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading In one hand he had a book of poems; the other was held by his valet, who knelt at his side, manicuring monsieur’s delicate nails.

wrappernounUS /ˈræpər/

a loose dressing gown for women

From this reading M. le Comte, swathed in a marvellous satin wrapper, was reposing on a silken-covered divan.

Chapter 14 of The great Roxhythe by Georgette Heyer holds 727 sentences, grouped into 146 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 14 of The great Roxhythe contain?

Chapter 14 holds 727 sentences of The great Roxhythe, unabridged, divided into 146 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of The great Roxhythe by Georgette Heyer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 727 sentences, grouped into 146 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 14 of The great Roxhythe?

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Chapter XIV

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