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The Poniard's Hilt
The Poniard's Hilt

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The Poniard's Hilt is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/36 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE MAHL.
The tribunal assembles.
The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.
The torch-bearing slaves stand behind the judges.
The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Poniard's Hilt

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The Poniard's Hilt is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE MAHL.
Line 2
The tribunal assembles.
/ðə trəˈbjuːnəl əˈsembəlz/
Line 3
The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.
Line 4
The torch-bearing slaves stand behind the judges.
Line 5
The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

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.

assembles verb US /əˈsembəlz/

third-person singular of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together

From this reading “The tribunal assembles.”

benches noun US /ˈbentʃɪz/

plural of “bench” — a long seat for more than one person

From this reading “The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.”

blacksmith noun US /ˈblæksmɪθ/

a smith who forges and shapes iron with a hammer and anvil

From this reading “The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.”

burg noun US /bɜːrɡ/

colloquial American term for a town

From this reading “The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.”

grouped adjective US /ɡruːpt/

arranged into groups

From this reading “The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.”

presides verb US /prɪˈzaɪdz/

third-person singular of “preside” — act as president

From this reading “The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.”

ranked adjective US /ræŋkt/

arranged in a sequence of grades or ranks

From this reading “The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.”

tribunal noun US /trəˈbjuːnəl/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading “The tribunal assembles.”

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.

presides over verb + particle counted as “preside over”

In this reading “The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.”

judgment seat noun + noun

In this reading “The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.”

stand behind verb + particle

In this reading “The torch-bearing slaves stand behind the judges.”

from time preposition + noun

In this reading “The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.”

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

assemblesverbUS /əˈsembəlz/

third-person singular of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together

From this reading The tribunal assembles.

assistverbUS /əˈsɪst/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading The torch-bearing slaves stand behind the judges.

benchesnounUS /ˈbentʃɪz/

plural of “bench” — a long seat for more than one person

From this reading The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.

blacksmithnounUS /ˈblæksmɪθ/

a smith who forges and shapes iron with a hammer and anvil

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

blowsnounUS /bloʊz/

plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

brightenedverbUS /ˈbraɪtənd/

past form of “brighten” — make more cheerful through the use of color

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

burgnounUS /bɜːrɡ/

colloquial American term for a town

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

countverbUS /kaʊnt/

determine the number or amount of

From this reading The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

flamenounUS /fleɪm/

A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

groupedadjectiveUS /ɡruːpt/

arranged into groups

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

hallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

judgesnounUS /ˈdʒʌdʒɪz/

a book of the Old Testament that tells the history of Israel under the leaders known as judges

From this reading The torch-bearing slaves stand behind the judges.

judgmentnounUS /ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/

an opinion formed by judging something

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

leudes

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

From this reading The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.

lightedadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪtəd/

set afire or burning

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

MAHL

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

From this reading THE MAHL.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.

presidesverbUS /prɪˈzaɪdz/

third-person singular of “preside” — act as president

From this reading The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.

rankedadjectiveUS /ræŋkt/

arranged in a sequence of grades or ranks

From this reading The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.

rearnounUS /rɪr/

the back of a military formation or procession

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

reflexionnoun

the phenomenon of a propagating wave (light or sound) being thrown back from a surface

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

remainsnounUS /rɪˈmeɪnz/

any object that is left unused or still extant

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

seatnounUS /siːt/

a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)

From this reading The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.

semi-obscurity

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

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

sevennounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

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

From this reading The count presides over the _mahl_ on his seat; seven leudes, ranked on benches on either side, assist him.

slavesnounUS /sleɪvz/

plural of “slave” — a person who is owned by someone

From this reading The torch-bearing slaves stand behind the judges.

stablesnounUS /ˈsteɪbəlz/

plural of “stable” — a farm building for housing horses or other livestock

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

standverbUS /stænd/

be standing; be upright

From this reading The torch-bearing slaves stand behind the judges.

stovenounUS /stoʊv/

a kitchen appliance used for cooking food

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE MAHL.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

torch-bearing

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

From this reading The torch-bearing slaves stand behind the judges.

tribunalnounUS /trəˈbjuːnəl/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading The tribunal assembles.

warriorsnounUS /ˈwɔːriərz/

plural of “warrior” — someone engaged in or experienced in warfare

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading The judgment seat is well lighted, while the rear of the hall, where the other leudes and warriors of the burg are grouped, remains in semi-obscurity, brightened, however, from time to time by the reflexion of the fire in the large stove which the blacksmith of the stables has lighted and blows into flame.

Chapter 16 of The Poniard's Hilt by Eugène Sue holds 180 sentences, grouped into 36 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 16 of The Poniard's Hilt contain?

Chapter 16 holds 180 sentences of The Poniard's Hilt, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of The Poniard's Hilt by Eugène Sue exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 180 sentences, grouped into 36 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 16 of The Poniard's Hilt?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Poniard's Hilt

Common questions about reading The Poniard's Hilt by Eugène Sue on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Poniard's Hilt?

Yes. All 4966 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31782 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Poniard's Hilt is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #31782, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Poniard's Hilt take to read?

About 413 minutes of reading across 994 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Poniard's Hilt

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Poniard's Hilt, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Araim
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poniard's Hilt; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Occasionally
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poniard's Hilt; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Long-lived
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poniard's Hilt; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
These
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poniard's Hilt; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.