Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3)
The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3)

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3) is here in full — 319 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3)
Context Illustration Reading 1/63 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE DRAMA OF LITTLE THINGS.
Many things happen!
They are the daily events of our lives, we note them with idle indifference.
The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!
That never again will the dear one respond to his welcome caresses!
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 Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3)

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3) is here in full — 319 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/63 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE DRAMA OF LITTLE THINGS.
/ðə ˈdrɑːmə ʌv ˈlɪtəl θɪŋz/
Line 2
Many things happen!
/ˈmeni θɪŋz ˈhæpən/
Line 3
They are the daily events of our lives, we note them with idle indifference.
/ðeɪ ɑːr ðə ˈdeɪli ɪˈvents ʌv ˈaʊər lɪvz wiː noʊt ðem wɪð ˈaɪdəl ˌɪnˈdɪfərəns/
Line 4
The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!
/ðə ˈlʌvər ˈkɪsəz hɪz dɪr wʌn ʃiː saɪz ɑːn hɪz ˈθrɑːbɪŋ ˈbʊzəm hiː sprɪŋz ɑːn hɪz ˈweɪtɪŋ hɔːrs ənd ˈweɪvɪŋ hɪz hænd æt ˈpɑːrtɪŋ θɪŋks ðæt ðə ˈmɑːroʊ fɔːr ˈsɜːrtən wɪl brɪŋ hɜːr əˈɡen tuː hɪz ˈkɪsəz əˈlæs hiː noʊz nɑːt ðæt feɪt ɪz kəˈprɪʃəs/
Line 5
That never again will the dear one respond to his welcome caresses!
/ðæt ˈnevər əˈɡen wɪl ðə dɪr wʌn rɪˈspɑːnd tuː hɪz ˈwelkəm kərˈesɪz/

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.

capricious adjective US /kəˈprɪʃəs/

changeable

From this reading “The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!”

caresses noun US /kərˈesɪz/

plural of “caress” — a gentle affectionate stroking (or something resembling it)

From this reading “That never again will the dear one respond to his welcome caresses!”

drama noun US /ˈdrɑːmə/

a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading “THE DRAMA OF LITTLE THINGS.”

kisses noun US /ˈkɪsəz/

plural of “kiss” — the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)

From this reading “The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!”

morrow noun US /ˈmɑːroʊ/

the next day

From this reading “The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!”

respond verb US /rɪˈspɑːnd/

show a response or a reaction to something

From this reading “That never again will the dear one respond to his welcome caresses!”

sighs noun US /saɪz/

plural of “sigh” — an utterance made by exhaling audibly

From this reading “The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!”

throbbing noun US /ˈθrɑːbɪŋ/

an instance of rapid strong pulsation (of the heart)

From this reading “The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!”

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.

Many things adjective + noun

In this reading “Many things happen!”

at parting preposition + noun

In this reading “The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!”

LITTLE THINGS adjective + noun

In this reading “THE DRAMA OF LITTLE THINGS.”

All words in this reading · 58

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

AlasexclamationUS /əˈlæs/

used to show sadness, pity, or regret

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading They are the daily events of our lives, we note them with idle indifference.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

bosomnounUS /ˈbʊzəm/

the chest considered as the place where secret thoughts are kept

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

capriciousadjectiveUS /kəˈprɪʃəs/

changeable

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

caressesnounUS /kərˈesɪz/

plural of “caress” — a gentle affectionate stroking (or something resembling it)

From this reading That never again will the dear one respond to his welcome caresses!

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

dailyadverbUS /ˈdeɪli/

every day; without missing a day

From this reading They are the daily events of our lives, we note them with idle indifference.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

DRAMAnounUS /ˈdrɑːmə/

a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading THE DRAMA OF LITTLE THINGS.

eventsnounUS /ɪˈvents/

plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading They are the daily events of our lives, we note them with idle indifference.

FatenounUS /feɪt/

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

happenverbUS /ˈhæpən/

come to pass

From this reading Many things happen!

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

horsenounUS /hɔːrs/

solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

idleadjectiveUS /ˈaɪdəl/

not in action or at work

From this reading They are the daily events of our lives, we note them with idle indifference.

indifferencenounUS /ˌɪnˈdɪfərəns/

unbiased impartial unconcern

From this reading They are the daily events of our lives, we note them with idle indifference.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

kissesnounUS /ˈkɪsəz/

plural of “kiss” — the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

knowsnounUS /noʊz/

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

LITTLEadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading THE DRAMA OF LITTLE THINGS.

livesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading They are the daily events of our lives, we note them with idle indifference.

lovernounUS /ˈlʌvər/

a person who loves someone or is loved by someone

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

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 Many things happen!

morrownounUS /ˈmɑːroʊ/

the next day

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading That never again will the dear one respond to his welcome caresses!

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

notenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading They are the daily events of our lives, we note them with idle indifference.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE DRAMA OF LITTLE THINGS.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading They are the daily events of our lives, we note them with idle indifference.

partingnounUS /ˈpɑːrtɪŋ/

the act of departing politely

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

respondverbUS /rɪˈspɑːnd/

show a response or a reaction to something

From this reading That never again will the dear one respond to his welcome caresses!

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

sighsnounUS /saɪz/

plural of “sigh” — an utterance made by exhaling audibly

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

springsnounUS /sprɪŋz/

plural of “spring” — the season of growth

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE DRAMA OF LITTLE THINGS.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They are the daily events of our lives, we note them with idle indifference.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They are the daily events of our lives, we note them with idle indifference.

THINGSnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading THE DRAMA OF LITTLE THINGS.

ThinksnounUS /θɪŋks/

plural of “think” — an instance of deliberate thinking

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

throbbingnounUS /ˈθrɑːbɪŋ/

an instance of rapid strong pulsation (of the heart)

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

wavingnounUS /ˈweɪvɪŋ/

the act of signaling by a movement of the hand

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading They are the daily events of our lives, we note them with idle indifference.

welcomeverbUS /ˈwelkəm/

accept gladly

From this reading That never again will the dear one respond to his welcome caresses!

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading The lover kisses his dear one, she sighs on his throbbing bosom, He springs on his waiting horse, and waving his hand at parting, Thinks that the morrow for certain, will bring her again to his kisses, Alas! he knows not that Fate is capricious!

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading They are the daily events of our lives, we note them with idle indifference.

Chapter 11 of The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3) by Fergus Hume holds 319 sentences, grouped into 64 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 11 of The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3) contain?

Chapter 11 holds 319 sentences of The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3), unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3) by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 319 sentences, grouped into 64 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 11 of The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3)?

Work through the 64 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 64 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3)

Common questions about reading The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3) by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3)?

Yes. All 3520 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43187 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #43187, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3) take to read?

About 293 minutes of reading across 704 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3) section by section

How to work through The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3) 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 Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3)

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Island
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fantasy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Aladdin
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Vol. 1 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.