The Mardi Gras Mystery

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The Mardi Gras Mystery is here in full — 317 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By H. (Henry) Bedford-Jones • Curated US English Learning Edition

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_The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

It was slightly before ten when Gramont called with the car for Lucie.

Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

There was above them both a cloud.

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Chapter XII Reading 1/63

The Mardi Gras Mystery

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The Mardi Gras Mystery is here in full — 317 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1

_The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

Line 2

He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

Line 3

It was slightly before ten when Gramont called with the car for Lucie.

Line 4

Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

/ˈʌndər ðə spel ʌv hɜːr ˈsmaɪlɪŋ ˈiːɡərnəs ðə ˈhɑːrʃnəs ˈvænɪʃt frʌm hɪz feɪs ɪt rɪˈtɜːrnd əˈɡen ə ˈmoʊmənt ˈleɪtər fɔːr hiː sɔː ðæt ʃiː tuː wɑːz tʃeɪndʒd/

Line 5

There was above them both a cloud.

/ðer wɑːz əˈbʌv ðem boʊθ ə klaʊd/

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.

briefly adverb US /ˈbriːfli/

for a short time

From this reading “He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.”

eagerness noun US /ˈiːɡərnəs/

a positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something

From this reading “Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.”

harshness noun US /ˈhɑːrʃnəs/

the roughness of a substance that causes abrasions

From this reading “Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.”

investigation noun US /ˌɪnvestəˈɡeɪʃən/

an inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable activities

From this reading “He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.”

oil noun US /ɔɪl/

A viscous liquid derived from petroleum or plants, stored in large earthen jars.

From this reading “He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.”

spell verb US /spel/

orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of

From this reading “Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.”

telephone noun US /ˈteləfoʊn/

electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds

From this reading “_The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.”

Ultimatum noun US /ˌʌltəˈmeɪtəm/

a final peremptory demand

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.

following morning adjective + noun

In this reading “_The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.”

over the telephone preposition + article + noun counted as “over … telephone”

In this reading “_The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.”

spell of verb + particle

In this reading “Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.”

for ten preposition + noun

In this reading “He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.”

returned again verb + particle counted as “return again”

In this reading “Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.”

All words in this reading · 61

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 He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading There was above them both a cloud.

acquaintedadjectiveUS /əˈkweɪntɪd/

having fair knowledge of

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

arrangedadjectiveUS /ərˈeɪndʒd/

disposed or placed in a particular kind of order

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It was slightly before ten when Gramont called with the car for Lucie.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

brieflyadverbUS /ˈbriːfli/

for a short time

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading It was slightly before ten when Gramont called with the car for Lucie.

changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

cloudverbUS /klaʊd/

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading There was above them both a cloud.

eagernessnounUS /ˈiːɡərnəs/

a positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

FellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

Fell's

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

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

Gramont

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

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

harshnessnounUS /ˈhɑːrʃnəs/

the roughness of a substance that causes abrasions

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

investigationnounUS /ˌɪnvestəˈɡeɪʃən/

an inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable activities

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was slightly before ten when Gramont called with the car for Lucie.

Jachin

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

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

Ledanois

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

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

Lucie

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

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

meetingnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

oilnounUS /ɔɪl/

A viscous liquid derived from petroleum or plants, stored in large earthen jars.

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

slightlyadverbUS /ˈslaɪtli/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading It was slightly before ten when Gramont called with the car for Lucie.

smilingnounUS /ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/

a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

spellverbUS /spel/

orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

telephonenounUS /ˈteləfoʊn/

electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was above them both a cloud.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

UltimatumnounUS /ˌʌltəˈmeɪtəm/

a final peremptory demand

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

UnderprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

UponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading _The Ultimatum_ Upon the following morning Gramont called both Jachin Fell and Lucie Ledanois over the telephone.

vanishedadjectiveUS /ˈvænɪʃt/

having passed out of existence

From this reading Under the spell of her smiling eagerness, the harshness vanished from his face; it returned again a moment later, for he saw that she, too, was changed.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was slightly before ten when Gramont called with the car for Lucie.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It was slightly before ten when Gramont called with the car for Lucie.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He acquainted them briefly with the result of his oil investigation, and arranged a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's office.

Chapter 12 of The Mardi Gras Mystery by H. (Henry) Bedford-Jones holds 317 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 12 of The Mardi Gras Mystery contain?

Chapter 12 holds 317 sentences of The Mardi Gras Mystery, unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The Mardi Gras Mystery by H. (Henry) Bedford-Jones exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 317 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 12 of The Mardi Gras Mystery?

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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Mardi Gras Mystery

Common questions about reading The Mardi Gras Mystery by H. (Henry) Bedford-Jones on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Mardi Gras Mystery?

Yes. All 4491 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39229 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Mardi Gras Mystery is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #39229, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mardi Gras Mystery take to read?

About 374 minutes of reading across 899 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Mardi Gras Mystery

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Mardi Gras Mystery, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Jachin: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mardi Gras Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pushed: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mardi Gras Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Aside: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mardi Gras Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Glass: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mardi Gras Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XII

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Vocabulary met early in The Mardi Gras Mystery