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A Modern Mercenary
A Modern Mercenary

Chapter XXX

Cover illustration for A Modern Mercenary
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
'UPON THE GREAT WORLD'S ALTAR-STAIRS.'
It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.
Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.
He found several other people calling upon Madame de Sagan, who was not fond of solitude.
Numbers gave the pretty Countess courage.
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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 XXX

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
'UPON THE GREAT WORLD'S ALTAR-STAIRS.'
Line 2
It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.
Line 3
Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.
Line 4
He found several other people calling upon Madame de Sagan, who was not fond of solitude.
Line 5
Numbers gave the pretty Countess courage.

Learner Dictionary

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

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.”

Found noun US /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He found several other people calling upon Madame de Sagan, who was not fond of solitude.”

GREAT noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “'UPON THE GREAT WORLD'S ALTAR-STAIRS.'”

Morning noun US /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.”

Relief noun US /rɪˈliːf/

a feeling of comfort after worry or pain

From this reading “It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.”

Several noun US /ˈseveral/

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

From this reading “He found several other people calling upon Madame de Sagan, who was not fond of solitude.”

Since preposition US /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading “Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.”

Therefore adverb US /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading “Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.”

UPON preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “'UPON THE GREAT WORLD'S ALTAR-STAIRS.'”

All words in this reading · 73

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 It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

ALTAR-STAIRS

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

From this reading 'UPON THE GREAT WORLD'S ALTAR-STAIRS.'

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

balked

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

boar-hunt

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

calling

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

From this reading He found several other people calling upon Madame de Sagan, who was not fond of solitude.

Castle

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

commonplace

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

Count

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

Countess

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

From this reading Numbers gave the pretty Countess courage.

courage

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

From this reading Numbers gave the pretty Countess courage.

de

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

From this reading He found several other people calling upon Madame de Sagan, who was not fond of solitude.

death-warrant

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

Duke

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

employed

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

flying

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

fond

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

From this reading He found several other people calling upon Madame de Sagan, who was not fond of solitude.

foundnounUS /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He found several other people calling upon Madame de Sagan, who was not fond of solitude.

gave

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

From this reading Numbers gave the pretty Countess courage.

going

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

gratification

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

GREATnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading 'UPON THE GREAT WORLD'S ALTAR-STAIRS.'

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

helpless

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

interval

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

Madame

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

From this reading He found several other people calling upon Madame de Sagan, who was not fond of solitude.

making

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

morningnounUS /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

natures

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

Numbers

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

From this reading Numbers gave the pretty Countess courage.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

other

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

From this reading He found several other people calling upon Madame de Sagan, who was not fond of solitude.

others

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

Palace

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

paying

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

people

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

From this reading He found several other people calling upon Madame de Sagan, who was not fond of solitude.

preferably

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

pretty

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

From this reading Numbers gave the pretty Countess courage.

procure

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

Rallywood's

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

reliefnounUS /rɪˈliːf/

a feeling of comfort after worry or pain

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

resent

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

resist

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

Sagan

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

seek

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

seen

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

selfish

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

several

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

From this reading He found several other people calling upon Madame de Sagan, who was not fond of solitude.

signature

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

solitude

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

From this reading He found several other people calling upon Madame de Sagan, who was not fond of solitude.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading 'UPON THE GREAT WORLD'S ALTAR-STAIRS.'

ThereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

unhappiness

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

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

UPONprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading 'UPON THE GREAT WORLD'S ALTAR-STAIRS.'

visit

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He found several other people calling upon Madame de Sagan, who was not fond of solitude.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It is a commonplace that selfish natures, balked of gratification, seek relief in making the unhappiness of others, preferably of those who are helpless to resist or to resent.

whompronounUS /huːm/

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

wife

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

From this reading Therefore Count Sagan employed the interval before going to the Palace to procure the signature of the Duke to Rallywood's death-warrant in paying a flying visit to his wife, whom he had not seen since the morning of the boar-hunt at the Castle.

WORLD'S

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

From this reading 'UPON THE GREAT WORLD'S ALTAR-STAIRS.'