Chapter 9 of The Red Widow is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Red Widow is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I’ll go upstairs," said Mrs. Pollen. "It is most unfortunate, isn’t it? She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this. I do hope it’s nothing serious." "Oh, no.
Chapter 9 of The Red Widow is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading “I do hope it’s nothing serious."”
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading “She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.”
the fine spores that contain male gametes and that are borne by an anther in a flowering plant
From this reading “"I’ll go upstairs," said Mrs. Pollen.”
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading “I do hope it’s nothing serious."”
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading “She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.”
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading “She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.”
not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune
From this reading “"It is most unfortunate, isn’t it?”
on a floor above
From this reading “"I’ll go upstairs," said Mrs. Pollen.”
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.
In this reading “"I’ll go upstairs," said Mrs. Pollen.”
In this reading “She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.”
In this reading “"It is most unfortunate, isn’t it?”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do hope it’s nothing serious."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "I’ll go upstairs," said Mrs. Pollen.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading I do hope it’s nothing serious."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I do hope it’s nothing serious."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I’ll go upstairs," said Mrs. Pollen.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It is most unfortunate, isn’t it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It is most unfortunate, isn’t it?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It is most unfortunate, isn’t it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I do hope it’s nothing serious."
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
used to form the superlative
From this reading "It is most unfortunate, isn’t it?
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "I’ll go upstairs," said Mrs. Pollen.
not any; not one
From this reading "Oh, no.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading I do hope it’s nothing serious."
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, no.
and nothing more
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
the fine spores that contain male gametes and that are borne by an anther in a flowering plant
From this reading "I’ll go upstairs," said Mrs. Pollen.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I’ll go upstairs," said Mrs. Pollen.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading I do hope it’s nothing serious."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading She’s only here in town for a short time, and now she’s taken ill like this.
not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune
From this reading "It is most unfortunate, isn’t it?
on a floor above
From this reading "I’ll go upstairs," said Mrs. Pollen.
Chapter 9 of The Red Widow by William Le Queux holds 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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.
Chapter 9 holds 406 sentences of The Red Widow, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Red Widow by William Le Queux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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.
Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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.
Common questions about reading The Red Widow by William Le Queux on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6141 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46236 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #46236, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 511 minutes of reading across 1229 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Red Widow section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of The Red Widow to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Red Widow, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
