againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
allowedverbUS /əˈlaʊd/
past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
AmongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
ANGELSnounUS /ˈeɪndʒəlz/
plural of “angel” — spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading ROB OF THE ANGELS.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/
past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
avoidingverbUS /əˈvɔɪdɪŋ/
-ing form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Mercy wondered what might be the reason of their separation.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
beggarsnounUS /ˈbeɡərz/
plural of “beggar” — a pauper who lives by begging
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
belongverbUS /bɪˈlɔːŋ/
be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
clannounUS /klæn/
group of people related by blood or marriage
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
clearverbUS /klɪr/
rid of obstructions
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
companynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
conjecturenounUS /kənˈdʒektʃər/
a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence)
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
dancedverbUS /dænst/
past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
eatverbUS /iːt/
take in solid food
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
feastnounUS /fiːst/
a ceremonial dinner party for many people
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
fednounUS /fed/
any federal law-enforcement officer
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
imagineverbUS /ˌɪˈmædʒən/
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
keepverbUS /kiːp/
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
lawnounUS /lɔː/
the collection of rules imposed by authority
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
lowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/
move something or somebody to a lower position
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
MercynounUS /ˈmɜːrsi/
leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice
From this reading Mercy wondered what might be the reason of their separation.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Mercy wondered what might be the reason of their separation.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/
not one and not the other of two
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ROB OF THE ANGELS.
offendedadjectiveUS /əˈfendəd/
emotionally hurt or upset or annoyed
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
partnounUS /pɑːrt/
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
peasantrynounUS /ˈpezəntri/
the class of peasants
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/
by chance
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
prisonnounUS /ˈprɪzən/
a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading Mercy wondered what might be the reason of their separation.
restverbUS /rest/
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
ROBverbUS /rɑːb/
take something away by force or without the consent of the owner
From this reading ROB OF THE ANGELS.
sawverbUS /sɔː/
cut with a saw
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
seatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
separationnounUS /ˌsepərˈeɪʃən/
the state of lacking unity
From this reading Mercy wondered what might be the reason of their separation.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
somehowadverbUS /ˈsʌmhaʊ/
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
soonadverbUS /suːn/
in the near future
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ROB OF THE ANGELS.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Mercy wondered what might be the reason of their separation.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
thereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/
for that reason; as a result
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
waitverbUS /weɪt/
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
welcomeverbUS /ˈwelkəm/
accept gladly
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
welladverbUS /wel/
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Mercy wondered what might be the reason of their separation.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading Among the peasantry assembled at the feast, were two that had neither danced, nor seated themselves at the long table where all were welcome.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
wonderedverbUS /ˈwʌndərd/
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading Mercy wondered what might be the reason of their separation.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Her first thought was that they must be somehow, she could not well imagine how, in lower position than any of the rest--had perhaps offended against the law, perhaps been in prison, and so the rest would not keep company with them; or perhaps they were beggars who did not belong to the clan, and therefore, although fed, were not allowed to eat with it!
wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading But she soon saw she must be wrong in each conjecture; for if there was any avoiding, it was on the part of the two: every one, it was clear, was almost on the alert to wait upon them.
