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The Queen of Hearts
The Queen of Hearts

Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

Chapter 25 of The Queen of Hearts is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Queen of Hearts
Context Illustration Reading 1/41 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.
Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.
All the household hurried directly into the Red Room, Josephine among the rest.
I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.
All the other servants were bewildered and frightened.
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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 Queen of Hearts

Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

Chapter 25 of The Queen of Hearts is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.
/ðə fɜːrst əˈmeɪzmənt ənd əˈlɑːrm prəˈduːst baɪ ðɪs dɪˈskʌvəri dɪˈpraɪvd miː ʌv maɪ ˈprezəns ʌv maɪnd/
Line 2
Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servantshall, calling out that something had happened to my master.
/wɪˈθaʊt ˈstɑːpɪŋ tuː θɪŋk wʌt aɪ ɔːt tuː duː fɜːrst aɪ ræn bæk tuː ðə ˈsɜːrvənts hɔːl ˈkɔːlɪŋ aʊt ðæt ˈsʌmθɪŋ hæd ˈhæpənd tuː maɪ ˈmæstər/
Line 3
All the household hurried directly into the Red Room, Josephine among the rest.
Line 4
I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.
Line 5
All the other servants were bewildered and frightened.
/ɔːl ðə ˈʌðər ˈsɜːrvənts wɜːr bɪˈwɪldərd ənd ˈfraɪtənd/

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.

alarm noun US /əˈlɑːrm/

fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading “The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.”

amazement noun US /əˈmeɪzmənt/

the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising

From this reading “The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.”

bewildered adjective US /bɪˈwɪldərd/

perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment

From this reading “All the other servants were bewildered and frightened.”

deprived adjective US /dɪˈpraɪvd/

marked by deprivation especially of the necessities of life or healthful environmental influences

From this reading “The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.”

discovery noun US /dɪˈskʌvəri/

the act of discovering something

From this reading “The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.”

observing adjective US /əbˈzɜːrvɪŋ/

quick to notice; showing quick and keen perception

From this reading “I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.”

senses noun US /ˈsensɪz/

plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana

From this reading “I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.”

stopping noun US /ˈstɑːpɪŋ/

fastener consisting of a narrow strip of welded metal used to join steel members

From this reading “Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.”

All words in this reading · 63

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

alarmnounUS /əˈlɑːrm/

fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading All the household hurried directly into the Red Room, Josephine among the rest.

amazementnounUS /əˈmeɪzmənt/

the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading All the household hurried directly into the Red Room, Josephine among the rest.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

bed-gown

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

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

bewilderedadjectiveUS /bɪˈwɪldərd/

perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment

From this reading All the other servants were bewildered and frightened.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

callingnounUS /ˈkɔːlɪŋ/

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

countenancenounUS /ˈkaʊntənəns/

the appearance conveyed by a person's face

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

deprivedadjectiveUS /dɪˈpraɪvd/

marked by deprivation especially of the necessities of life or healthful environmental influences

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

directlyadverbUS /dərˈektli/

without deviation

From this reading All the household hurried directly into the Red Room, Josephine among the rest.

discoverynounUS /dɪˈskʌvəri/

the act of discovering something

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

emptyverbUS /ˈempti/

make void or empty of contents

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

expressionnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃən/

the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

frightenedadjectiveUS /ˈfraɪtənd/

made afraid

From this reading All the other servants were bewildered and frightened.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

hallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

householdnounUS /ˈhaʊshoʊld/

a social unit living together

From this reading All the household hurried directly into the Red Room, Josephine among the rest.

hurriedadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːrid/

moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste

From this reading All the household hurried directly into the Red Room, Josephine among the rest.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading All the household hurried directly into the Red Room, Josephine among the rest.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

Josephine

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

From this reading All the household hurried directly into the Red Room, Josephine among the rest.

masternounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

observingadjectiveUS /əbˈzɜːrvɪŋ/

quick to notice; showing quick and keen perception

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading All the other servants were bewildered and frightened.

oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/

the state of being present; current existence

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

producedverbUS /prəˈduːst/

past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

ranverbUS /ræn/

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

RednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading All the household hurried directly into the Red Room, Josephine among the rest.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading All the household hurried directly into the Red Room, Josephine among the rest.

RoomnounUS /ruːm/

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

From this reading All the household hurried directly into the Red Room, Josephine among the rest.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

sensesnounUS /ˈsensɪz/

plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

servantsnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənts/

plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

stoppingnounUS /ˈstɑːpɪŋ/

fastener consisting of a narrow strip of welded metal used to join steel members

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading The first amazement and alarm produced by this discovery deprived me of my presence of mind.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading I was first brought to my senses, as it were, by observing the strange expression of her countenance when she saw the bed-gown and the empty room.

WithoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Without stopping to think what I ought to do first, I ran back to the servants’ hall, calling out that something had happened to my master.

Chapter 25 of The Queen of Hearts by Wilkie Collins holds 207 sentences, grouped into 42 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 25 of The Queen of Hearts contain?

Chapter 25 holds 207 sentences of The Queen of Hearts, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 25 of The Queen of Hearts by Wilkie Collins exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 207 sentences, grouped into 42 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 25 of The Queen of Hearts?

Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 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 25 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 25 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 Queen of Hearts

Common questions about reading The Queen of Hearts by Wilkie Collins on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Queen of Hearts?

Yes. All 6655 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1917 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Queen of Hearts is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1917, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Queen of Hearts take to read?

About 554 minutes of reading across 1331 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Queen of Hearts section by section

How to work through The Queen of Hearts section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Queen of Hearts 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 Queen of Hearts

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Queen of Hearts, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Letter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen of Hearts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dedication
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen of Hearts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Emile
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen of Hearts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Forgues
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen of Hearts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.