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A Modern Mercenary
A Modern Mercenary

Chapter XXIII

Cover illustration for A Modern Mercenary
Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HOW RALLYWOOD HAD HIS ORDERS.
Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.
It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.
As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.
Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Modern Mercenary

Chapter XXIII

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HOW RALLYWOOD HAD HIS ORDERS.
Line 2
Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.
Line 3
It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.
Line 4
As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.
Line 5
Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

Learner Dictionary

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

Afternoon noun US /ˈafternoon/

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

From this reading “It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.”

Alone noun US /alone/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.”

Along preposition US /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading “As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.”

Already noun US /already/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.”

Secret noun US /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading “Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.”

Sometimes noun US /sometimes/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading “Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.”

Towards preposition US /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading “As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.”

Yet conjunction US /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading “It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.”

All words in this reading · 65

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 Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

afternoonnounUS /ˈafternoon/

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

From this reading It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.

alonenounUS /alone/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

alreadynounUS /already/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

beckoned

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

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

carriage

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

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

Chancellerie

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

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

coming

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

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

departed

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

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

drove

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

From this reading It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.

Duke

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

From this reading It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.

Duke's

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

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

early

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

From this reading It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.

embankment

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

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

errand

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

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

few

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

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

fog

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

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

Frontier

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

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

Gustave

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

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

HADauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading HOW RALLYWOOD HAD HIS ORDERS.

happened

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

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

HISdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading HOW RALLYWOOD HAD HIS ORDERS.

hour

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

From this reading It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.

HOW

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

From this reading HOW RALLYWOOD HAD HIS ORDERS.

humour

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

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.

indulge

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

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.

Maasau

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

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

man

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

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

moment

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

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

ORDERS

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

From this reading HOW RALLYWOOD HAD HIS ORDERS.

out

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

From this reading It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.

outriders

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

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

RALLYWOOD

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

From this reading HOW RALLYWOOD HAD HIS ORDERS.

river

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

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

saw

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

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

side

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

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

slush

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

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

sometimes

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

From this reading It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.

spoke

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

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

started

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

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

trotted

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

From this reading As Rallywood trotted along the embankment by the river, he saw the outriders of the Duke's carriage coming towards him.

Unziar

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

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Unziar had already departed to the Frontier on a secret errand when Rallywood started for the Chancellerie through the slush and fog.

words

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

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading It was yet early in the afternoon, and an hour when the Duke sometimes drove out.

young

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

From this reading Gustave of Maasau happened to be alone, and, to indulge the humour of the moment, he beckoned the young man to the side of the carriage and spoke a few words to him.