Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Poniard's Hilt
The Poniard's Hilt

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of The Poniard's Hilt is here in full — 238 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Poniard's Hilt
Context Illustration Reading 1/47 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE LION OF POITIERS.
Seigneur count!
Seigneur count Neroweg!
Wake up!
Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.
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 Poniard's Hilt

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of The Poniard's Hilt is here in full — 238 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/47 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE LION OF POITIERS.
Line 2
Seigneur count!
Line 3
Seigneur count Neroweg!
Line 4
Wake up!
/weɪk ʌp/
Line 5
Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.
/ˌɪnˈsted ʌv ˈhævɪŋ spent ðə naɪt æz juː ɪkˈspektəd ɪn ðə ɑːrmz ʌv wʌn ʌv jɔːr ˈfiːmeɪl sleɪvz aʊt ʌv fɪr fɔːr ðə ˈdevəl juː spent ɪt ɑːn jɔːr niːz kloʊs tuː jɔːr klɜːrk ənd rɪˈpiːtɪŋ ɪn ə ˈmɔːdlɪn ənd bɪˈsɔːtɪd vɔɪs ðə prerz ðæt ðə ˈhoʊli mæn ˈmʌmbəld hæf əˈsliːp ˈɪntuː jɔːr ɪrz/

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.

besotted adjective US /bɪˈsɔːtɪd/

very drunk

From this reading “Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.”

female adjective US /ˈfiːmeɪl/

being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which offspring develop

From this reading “Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.”

maudlin adjective US /ˈmɔːdlɪn/

effusively or insincerely emotional

From this reading “Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.”

mumbled verb US /ˈmʌmbəld/

past form of “mumble” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice

From this reading “Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.”

prayers noun US /prerz/

plural of “prayer” — the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)

From this reading “Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.”

repeating noun US /rɪˈpiːtɪŋ/

the act of doing or performing again

From this reading “Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.”

slaves noun US /sleɪvz/

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

From this reading “Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.”

Wake verb US /weɪk/

be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading “Wake up!”

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.

female slaves adjective + noun counted as “female slave”

In this reading “Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.”

Wake up verb + adjective

cause to become awake or conscious

In this reading “Wake up!”

holy man adjective + noun

person of exceptional holiness

In this reading “Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.”

All words in this reading · 47

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 Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

asleepadjectiveUS /əˈsliːp/

in a state of sleep

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

besottedadjectiveUS /bɪˈsɔːtɪd/

very drunk

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

clerknounUS /klɜːrk/

an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

countverbUS /kaʊnt/

determine the number or amount of

From this reading Seigneur count!

devilnounUS /ˈdevəl/

(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

earsnounUS /ɪrz/

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

expectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

femaleadjectiveUS /ˈfiːmeɪl/

being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which offspring develop

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

holynounUS /ˈhoʊli/

a sacred place of pilgrimage

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

InsteadadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsted/

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

kneesnounUS /niːz/

plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

LIONnounUS /ˈlaɪən/

large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male

From this reading THE LION OF POITIERS.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

maudlinadjectiveUS /ˈmɔːdlɪn/

effusively or insincerely emotional

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

mumbledverbUS /ˈmʌmbəld/

past form of “mumble” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

Neroweg

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

From this reading Seigneur count Neroweg!

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE LION OF POITIERS.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

POITIERSnoun

the battle in 1356 in which the English under the Black Prince defeated the French

From this reading THE LION OF POITIERS.

prayersnounUS /prerz/

plural of “prayer” — the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

repeatingnounUS /rɪˈpiːtɪŋ/

the act of doing or performing again

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

Seigneurnoun

a man of rank in the ancient regime

From this reading Seigneur count!

slavesnounUS /sleɪvz/

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

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE LION OF POITIERS.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Wake up!

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

WakeverbUS /weɪk/

be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading Wake up!

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Instead of having spent the night, as you expected, in the arms of one of your female slaves, out of fear for the devil you spent it on your knees, close to your clerk, and repeating in a maudlin and besotted voice the prayers that the holy man mumbled, half asleep, into your ears.

Chapter 18 of The Poniard's Hilt by Eugène Sue holds 238 sentences, grouped into 48 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 18 of The Poniard's Hilt contain?

Chapter 18 holds 238 sentences of The Poniard's Hilt, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Poniard's Hilt by Eugène Sue exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 238 sentences, grouped into 48 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 18 of The Poniard's Hilt?

Work through the 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 48 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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.

How to read The Poniard's Hilt section by section

How to work through The Poniard's Hilt section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 27 chapters of The Poniard's Hilt 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 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.