Vendetta

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Vendetta is here in full — 272 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Honoré de Balzac • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering.

Seeing an unknown woman, he recoiled.

Amelie, who was unable to look into the room, the door being closed, was afraid to stay longer; she was satisfied with having heard the opening of the garret door, and departed noiselessly.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter III Reading 1/54

Vendetta Honoré de Balzac

Chapter III

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Vendetta is here in full — 272 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges. Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating. The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering. Seeing an unknown woman, he recoiled. Amelie, who was unable to look into the room, the door being closed, was afraid to stay longer; she was satisfied with having heard the opening of the garret door, and departed noiselessly.

Vendetta

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Vendetta is here in full — 272 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/54 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

Line 2

Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

Line 3

The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering.

Line 4

Seeing an unknown woman, he recoiled.

/ˈsiːɪŋ æn ənˈnoʊn ˈwʊmən hiː riˈkɔɪld/

Line 5

Amelie, who was unable to look into the room, the door being closed, was afraid to stay longer; she was satisfied with having heard the opening of the garret door, and departed noiselessly.

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.

creaking noun US /ˈkriːkɪŋ/

a squeaking sound

From this reading “When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.”

garret noun US /ˈɡerɪt/

floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage

hinges noun US /ˈhɪndʒɪz/

plural of “hinge” — a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing relative to the other

painter noun US /ˈpeɪntər/

an artist who paints

rapped verb US /ræpt/

inflected form of “rap” — strike sharply

recoiled verb US /riˈkɔɪld/

past form of “recoil” — draw back, as with fear or pain

From this reading “Seeing an unknown woman, he recoiled.”

rusty adjective US /ˈrʌsti/

covered with or consisting of rust

sling verb US /slɪŋ/

hurl as if with a sling

From this reading “The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering.”

All words in this reading · 78

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 the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

afraidadjectiveUS /əˈfreɪd/

filled with fear or apprehension

From this reading Amelie, who was unable to look into the room, the door being closed, was afraid to stay longer; she was satisfied with having heard the opening of the garret door, and departed noiselessly.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

Amelie

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

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Seeing an unknown woman, he recoiled.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

armnounUS /ɑːrm/

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

beatingnounUS /ˈbiːtɪŋ/

the act of overcoming or outdoing

From this reading Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

closedadjectiveUS /kloʊzd/

not open or affording passage or access

creakingnounUS /ˈkriːkɪŋ/

a squeaking sound

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

departedadjectiveUS /dɪˈpɑːrtɪd/

well in the past; former

doornounUS /dɔːr/

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

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering.

garretnounUS /ˈɡerɪt/

floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

Ginevra

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

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Seeing an unknown woman, he recoiled.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

hingesnounUS /ˈhɪndʒɪz/

plural of “hinge” — a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing relative to the other

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering.

ImperialadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɪriəl/

relating to or associated with an empire

From this reading Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

noiselesslyadverb

without a sound

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

officernounUS /ˈɔːfəsər/

any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering.

openingnounUS /ˈoʊpənɪŋ/

an open or empty space in or between things

painternounUS /ˈpeɪntər/

an artist who paints

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

pallornoun

unnatural lack of color in the skin (as from bruising or sickness or emotional distress)

From this reading The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering.

peculiaradjectiveUS /pəˈkjuːljər/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

rappedverbUS /ræpt/

inflected form of “rap” — strike sharply

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

recoiledverbUS /riˈkɔɪld/

past form of “recoil” — draw back, as with fear or pain

From this reading Seeing an unknown woman, he recoiled.

revealedverbUS /rɪˈviːld/

past form of “reveal” — make visible

From this reading The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

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

rustyadjectiveUS /ˈrʌsti/

covered with or consisting of rust

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

satisfiedadjectiveUS /ˈsætəsfaɪd/

filled with satisfaction

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

SeeingnounUS /ˈsiːɪŋ/

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading Seeing an unknown woman, he recoiled.

Servin

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

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

sharpadjectiveUS /ʃɑːrp/

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

slingverbUS /slɪŋ/

hurl as if with a sling

From this reading The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering.

stayverbUS /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

sufferingnounUS /ˈsʌfərɪŋ/

a state of acute pain

From this reading The officer had one arm in a sling, and the pallor of his face revealed sharp suffering.

talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

unableadjectiveUS /əˈneɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how

uniformadjectiveUS /ˈjuːnəfɔːrm/

always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences

From this reading Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

unknownadjectiveUS /ənˈnoʊn/

not known

From this reading Seeing an unknown woman, he recoiled.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

well-madeadjective

skillfully constructed

From this reading Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading When the painter and Ginevra thought themselves alone, Servin rapped in a peculiar manner on the door of the dark garret, which turned at once on its rusty and creaking hinges.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Seeing an unknown woman, he recoiled.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Ginevra then saw a tall and well-made young man, whose Imperial uniform set her heart to beating.

Chapter 3 of Vendetta by Honoré de Balzac holds 272 sentences, grouped into 55 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 3 of Vendetta contain?

Chapter 3 holds 272 sentences of Vendetta, unabridged, divided into 55 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Vendetta by Honoré de Balzac exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 272 sentences, grouped into 55 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 3 of Vendetta?

Work through the 55 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 55 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Vendetta?

Yes. All 1276 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1374 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #1374, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Vendetta take to read?

About 106 minutes of reading across 256 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Vendetta

Words and structures a reader meets early in Vendetta, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Toward: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Vendetta; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Close: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Vendetta; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
October: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Vendetta; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Foreigner: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Vendetta; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter III · Chapter 3

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