The Wonderful Year

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Wonderful Year is here in full — 327 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William John Locke • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

To Félise, anxious concerning her health, she denied access.

Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.

Mystery enveloped the visit of Camille Fargot.

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Chapter VII Reading 1/65

The Wonderful Year

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Wonderful Year is here in full — 327 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/65 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

Line 2

On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

/ɑːn ðə weɪn ʌv ðə ˌæftərˈnuːn ʃiː sent wɜːrd tuː ˈeni huːm ɪt maɪt kənˈsɜːrn ðæt nɑːt ˈbiːɪŋ ˈhʌŋɡri ʃiː wʊd nɑːt kʌm daʊn fɔːr ˈdɪnər/

Line 3

To Félise, anxious concerning her health, she denied access.

Line 4

Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.

/ˈɔːfərz ʌv ˈkʌmfərtɪŋ ˈnɜːrɪʃmənt ɑːn ə treɪ meɪd ɑːn ðə ˈaʊtər saɪd ʌv ðə kloʊzd dɔːr ʃiː ˈkɜːrtli dɪˈklaɪnd/

Line 5

Mystery enveloped the visit of Camille Fargot.

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.

access noun US /ˈækses/

the right to enter

From this reading “To Félise, anxious concerning her health, she denied access.”

comforting adjective US /ˈkʌmfərtɪŋ/

providing freedom from worry

From this reading “Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.”

curtly adverb US /ˈkɜːrtli/

in a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner

From this reading “Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.”

entrenched adjective US /enˈtrentʃt/

dug in

From this reading “WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.”

enveloped verb US /enˈveləpt/

past form of “envelop” — enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering

From this reading “Mystery enveloped the visit of Camille Fargot.”

nourishment noun US /ˈnɜːrɪʃmənt/

a source of materials to nourish the body

From this reading “Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.”

tray noun US /treɪ/

an open receptacle for holding or displaying or serving articles or food

From this reading “Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.”

wane verb US /weɪn/

grow smaller

From this reading “On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

closed door adjective + noun

In this reading “Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.”

anxious concerning adjective + noun counted as “anxious concern”

In this reading “To Félise, anxious concerning her health, she denied access.”

outer side adjective + noun

In this reading “Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.”

sent word noun + noun

In this reading “On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.”

come down verb + adjective

move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

In this reading “On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.”

for dinner preposition + noun

In this reading “On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.”

All words in this reading · 65

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

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

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

accessnounUS /ˈækses/

the right to enter

From this reading To Félise, anxious concerning her health, she denied access.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

anxiousadjectiveUS /ˈæŋkʃəs/

eagerly desirous

From this reading To Félise, anxious concerning her health, she denied access.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

Camille

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

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

closedadjectiveUS /kloʊzd/

not open or affording passage or access

From this reading Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

comfortingadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtɪŋ/

providing freedom from worry

From this reading Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.

concernnounUS /kənˈsɜːrn/

something that interests you because it is important or affects you

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

concerningverbUS /kənˈsɜːrnɪŋ/

-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to

From this reading To Félise, anxious concerning her health, she denied access.

Corinna

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

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

couplenounUS /ˈkʌpəl/

a pair who associate with one another

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

curtlyadverbUS /ˈkɜːrtli/

in a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner

From this reading Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.

declinedverbUS /dɪˈklaɪnd/

past form of “decline” — grow worse

From this reading Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.

deniedverbUS /dɪˈnaɪd/

inflected form of “deny” — declare untrue; contradict

From this reading To Félise, anxious concerning her health, she denied access.

departedadjectiveUS /dɪˈpɑːrtɪd/

well in the past; former

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

entrenchedadjectiveUS /enˈtrentʃt/

dug in

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

envelopedverbUS /enˈveləpt/

past form of “envelop” — enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering

From this reading Mystery enveloped the visit of Camille Fargot.

Fargot

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

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

Félise

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

From this reading To Félise, anxious concerning her health, she denied access.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

healthnounUS /helθ/

a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease

From this reading To Félise, anxious concerning her health, she denied access.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

hotelnounUS /hoʊˈtel/

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

hungryadjectiveUS /ˈhʌŋɡri/

feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.

MartinnounUS /ˈmɑːrtən/

French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

MonsieurnounUS /məˈsjɜːr/

used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

MysterynounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading Mystery enveloped the visit of Camille Fargot.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

nourishmentnounUS /ˈnɜːrɪʃmənt/

a source of materials to nourish the body

From this reading Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

OffersnounUS /ˈɔːfərz/

plural of “offer” — the verbal act of offering

From this reading Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

outeradjectiveUS /ˈaʊtər/

being on the outside or further from a center

From this reading Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

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

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

traynounUS /treɪ/

an open receptacle for holding or displaying or serving articles or food

From this reading Offers of comforting nourishment on a tray made on the outer side of the closed door she curtly declined.

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading Mystery enveloped the visit of Camille Fargot.

waneverbUS /weɪn/

grow smaller

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

WHENconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading WHEN Martin returned to the hotel a couple of hours later, he found that Monsieur Camille Fargot had departed, and that Corinna had entrenched herself in her room.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading On the wane of the afternoon she sent word to any whom it might concern that, not being hungry, she would not come down for dinner.

Chapter 7 of The Wonderful Year by William John Locke holds 327 sentences, grouped into 66 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 7 of The Wonderful Year contain?

Chapter 7 holds 327 sentences of The Wonderful Year, unabridged, divided into 66 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of The Wonderful Year by William John Locke exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 327 sentences, grouped into 66 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 7 of The Wonderful Year?

Work through the 66 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 66 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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.

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Is this the complete text of The Wonderful Year?

Yes. All 7380 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60123 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #60123, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 1476 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Wonderful Year

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Wonderful Year, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Idols: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wonderful Year; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter VII

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