Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A bankrupt heart, Vol. 2 (of 3)
A bankrupt heart, Vol. 2 (of 3)

Chapter III

Cover illustration for A bankrupt heart, Vol. 2 (of 3)
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.
Nora was a flirt, there was no question of that.
She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.
But she was not a fool.
She had a countess’s coronet on her head, and she had no intention of soiling or risking the treasure she had won.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A bankrupt heart, Vol. 2 (of 3)

Chapter III

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.
Line 2
Nora was a flirt, there was no question of that.
Line 3
She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.
Line 4
But she was not a fool.
/bʌt ʃiː wɑːz nɑːt ə fool/
Line 5
She had a countess’s coronet on her head, and she had no intention of soiling or risking the treasure she had won.

Learner Dictionary

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

Again noun US /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.”

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.”

Done noun US /done/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.”

Fool noun US /fool/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “But she was not a fool.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.”

Imagine noun US /ˈimagine/

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

From this reading “She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.”

Let auxiliary verb US /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading “She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.”

Question noun US /ˈquestion/

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

From this reading “Nora was a flirt, there was no question of that.”

Same noun US /same/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.”

Under preposition US /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

afraid

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

againnounUS /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But she was not a fool.

coronet

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

From this reading She had a countess’s coronet on her head, and she had no intention of soiling or risking the treasure she had won.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

Countess

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

countess's

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

From this reading She had a countess’s coronet on her head, and she had no intention of soiling or risking the treasure she had won.

days

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

declined

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

desire

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

donenounUS /done/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

dozen

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

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

earl

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

exciting

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

fact

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

favoured

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

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

feet

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

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

few

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

flirt

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

From this reading Nora was a flirt, there was no question of that.

foolnounUS /fool/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But she was not a fool.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

head

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

From this reading She had a countess’s coronet on her head, and she had no intention of soiling or risking the treasure she had won.

heartily

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

honour

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

Ilfracombe

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

imaginenounUS /ˈimagine/

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

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

individual

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

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

intention

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

From this reading She had a countess’s coronet on her head, and she had no intention of soiling or risking the treasure she had won.

keep

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

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

meet

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

men

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

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

more

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

Mr

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

Nora

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

From this reading Nora was a flirt, there was no question of that.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading She had a countess’s coronet on her head, and she had no intention of soiling or risking the treasure she had won.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading She had a countess’s coronet on her head, and she had no intention of soiling or risking the treasure she had won.

Portland

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

questionnounUS /ˈquestion/

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

From this reading Nora was a flirt, there was no question of that.

risking

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

From this reading She had a countess’s coronet on her head, and she had no intention of soiling or risking the treasure she had won.

roof

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

samenounUS /same/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

soiling

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

From this reading She had a countess’s coronet on her head, and she had no intention of soiling or risking the treasure she had won.

sorry

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

suspicions

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

there

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

From this reading Nora was a flirt, there was no question of that.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading She could keep a dozen men at her feet at the same time, and let each of them imagine he was the favoured individual.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

treasure

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

From this reading She had a countess’s coronet on her head, and she had no intention of soiling or risking the treasure she had won.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.

won

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

From this reading She had a countess’s coronet on her head, and she had no intention of soiling or risking the treasure she had won.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading The Countess of Ilfracombe had had no desire to meet Mr Portland again; in fact, she would have declined the honour, had she not been afraid of exciting the suspicions of the earl; and she had not been under the same roof with him for more than a few days, before she was heartily sorry that she had not done so.