Chapter I

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading The view was even more depressing than usual on this gloomy autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

the season when the leaves fall from the trees

From this reading The view was even more depressing than usual on this gloomy autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

on the far side of; further than

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

offering little or no hope

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

having the limits or boundaries established

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

in deplorable condition

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

sitting on eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

comparative of “dark” — devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

in a dejected manner

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

causing sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy

From this reading The view was even more depressing than usual on this gloomy autumn afternoon.

in deplorable condition

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

having the power of driving or impelling

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

having a dun color

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

divisible by two

From this reading The view was even more depressing than usual on this gloomy autumn afternoon.

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

plural of “fir” — nonresinous wood of a fir tree

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

a young female

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

depressingly dark

From this reading The view was even more depressing than usual on this gloomy autumn afternoon.

shoot down, of birds

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

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

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

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

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

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

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

not solid; having a space or gap or cavity

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

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

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

a field of cultivated and mowed grass

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

lacking companions or companionship

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

a feeling of thoughtful sadness

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

secure in or as if in a berth or dock

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading The view was even more depressing than usual on this gloomy autumn afternoon.

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The view was even more depressing than usual on this gloomy autumn afternoon.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

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

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

a fence made of upright pickets

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

plural of “post” — the position where someone (as a guard or sentry) stands or is assigned to stand

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

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

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

a slight surface cut (especially a notch that is made to keep a tally)

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

covered with sedges (grasslike marsh plants)

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

plural of “sheet” — any broad thin expanse or surface

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

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

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

having a supporting base

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

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

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

-ing form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

relating to or using or proceeding by means of symbols

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The view was even more depressing than usual on this gloomy autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

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

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

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

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

an event resulting in great loss and misfortune

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

fall down, as if collapsing

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

not neat and tidy

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

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

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading The view was even more depressing than usual on this gloomy autumn afternoon.

a way of regarding situations or topics etc.

From this reading The view was even more depressing than usual on this gloomy autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading The view was even more depressing than usual on this gloomy autumn afternoon.

in or at the place that

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.

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

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

which person or people

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

belonging to which person

From this reading To the girl standing in the window with a brooding look of melancholy on her pretty features the outlook seemed symbolical of her life, for Ruth Averill was not one of those whose lives could be said to have fallen in pleasant places.

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading who suggested the idea from which this story grew The Tragedy Ruth Averill moved slowly across the drawing room at Starvel, and stood dejectedly at the window, looking out at the Scotch firs swaying in the wind and the sheets of rain driving across the untidy lawn before the house.

ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc

From this reading Beyond the grass-grown drive and the broken-down paling of posts and wire which bounded the grounds, lay the open moor, wild and lonely and forbidding.

in the company of; together with

From this reading A tumble of dun-coloured sedgy grass with darker smudges where rock out-cropped, it stretched up, bleak and dreary, to the lip of the hollow in which the dilapidated old house had been built.