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The Town Traveller
The Town Traveller

Chapter VI

Cover illustration for The Town Traveller
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
POLLY'S WRATH Polly posted her letter on the way to the theatre.
This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.
Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.
Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.
To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.
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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 Town Traveller

Chapter VI

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
POLLY'S WRATH Polly posted her letter on the way to the theatre.
Line 2
This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.
Line 3
Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.
Line 4
Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.
Line 5
To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.”

Looked noun US /looked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.”

Make noun US /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.”

Never noun US /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.”

Quite noun US /quite/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.”

Standing noun US /ˈstanding/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.”

Sure noun US /sure/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.”

Until preposition US /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading “To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.”

All words in this reading · 105

Every word is available to listen to. 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 This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

admirers

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

always

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

appointed

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

assurance

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

cared

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

carefully

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

certain

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

Christopher

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

From this reading Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.

coming

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

commands

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

disliked

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

door

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

From this reading Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.

engagement

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

evening

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

extremities

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

face

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

far

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

few

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

followed

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

forth

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

get

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

gift

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

given

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

gracious

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

habit

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

From this reading Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading POLLY'S WRATH Polly posted her letter on the way to the theatre.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

importunate

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

lay

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

less

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

letter

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

From this reading POLLY'S WRATH Polly posted her letter on the way to the theatre.

lookednounUS /looked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

makenounUS /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

man

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

From this reading Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.

minute

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

more

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

nevernounUS /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.

o'clock

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

observed

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading POLLY'S WRATH Polly posted her letter on the way to the theatre.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

only

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

From this reading Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

others

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

Parish

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

From this reading Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.

persons

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

place

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

Polly

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

From this reading POLLY'S WRATH Polly posted her letter on the way to the theatre.

POLLY'S

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

From this reading POLLY'S WRATH Polly posted her letter on the way to the theatre.

possible

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

posted

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

From this reading POLLY'S WRATH Polly posted her letter on the way to the theatre.

primitive

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

private

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

quitenounUS /quite/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

rid

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

sarcasm

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

setting

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

some

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

special

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

standingnounUS /ˈstanding/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.

submissive

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

surenounUS /sure/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

ten

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading POLLY'S WRATH Polly posted her letter on the way to the theatre.

theatre

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

From this reading POLLY'S WRATH Polly posted her letter on the way to the theatre.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

thoroughly

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

times

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading POLLY'S WRATH Polly posted her letter on the way to the theatre.

trouble

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

two

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

UponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

use

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

wait

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From this reading Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.

watched

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

From this reading This evening she had a private engagement for ten o'clock, and on setting forth to the appointed place she looked carefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her.

way

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

From this reading POLLY'S WRATH Polly posted her letter on the way to the theatre.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.

wished

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

From this reading To be sure, she could always get rid of importunate persons by the use of her special gift, that primitive sarcasm which few cared to face for more than a minute or two; but with admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Upon him she could lay her commands with some assurance that they would be observed, but others were less submissive, and at times had given her trouble.

WRATH

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

From this reading POLLY'S WRATH Polly posted her letter on the way to the theatre.

young

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

From this reading Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the theatre door.