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An open verdict
An open verdict

Chapter XI

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Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BELLA IN SEARCH OF A MISSION.
WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.
She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.
‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.
‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

An open verdict

Chapter XI

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BELLA IN SEARCH OF A MISSION.
Line 2
WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.
Line 3
She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.
Line 4
‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.
Line 5
‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

Learner Dictionary

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

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.”

Between preposition US /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading “‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.”

Forgotten adjective US /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading “WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.”

Fortune noun US /ˈfortune/

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

From this reading “WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.”

Free adjective US /friː/

acting without enough restraint or discipline

From this reading “WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.”

Herself pronoun US /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading “She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.”

Make noun US /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.”

Mind noun US /mind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.”

Mine pronoun US /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.”

Pleased noun US /ˈpleased/

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

From this reading “She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.”

Quite noun US /quite/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.”

Sure noun US /sure/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.”

WHILE conjunction US /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading “WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.”

Whose determiner US /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading “WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.”

Without preposition US /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading “She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.”

All words in this reading · 93

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 BELLA IN SEARCH OF A MISSION.

almost

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

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

Beatrix

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading ‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.

BELLA

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

From this reading BELLA IN SEARCH OF A MISSION.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading ‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.

brilliant

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

busy

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

charge

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

comfortably

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

Culverhouse

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

Cyril

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

Cyril's

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

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

destiny

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

disposing

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

Dulcimer's

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

ears

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

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

estate

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

fall

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

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

favourite

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

From this reading ‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.

field

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

fond

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

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

foolish

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

From this reading ‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

fortunenounUS /ˈfortune/

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

freeadjectiveUS /friː/

acting without enough restraint or discipline

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

handing

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

Harefield's

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading ‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

head

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

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading ‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.

husband

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

From this reading ‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

idea

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading BELLA IN SEARCH OF A MISSION.

interests

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

Kenrick

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

leaving

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

love

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

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

makenounUS /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.

match

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

From this reading ‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.

means

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

mindnounUS /mind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading ‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.

Miss

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

MISSION

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

From this reading BELLA IN SEARCH OF A MISSION.

mortgaged

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

Mrs

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BELLA IN SEARCH OF A MISSION.

older

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

pleasednounUS /ˈpleased/

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

protégé

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

put

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

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

quitenounUS /quite/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

rival

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

said

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

From this reading ‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.

Scratchell

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

Scratchell's

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

SEARCH

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

From this reading BELLA IN SEARCH OF A MISSION.

set

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

Sir

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

surenounUS /sure/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

taking

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading ‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

thus

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

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

trying

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

From this reading ‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.

very

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

From this reading ‘But if I can put it into Cyril’s head that Bella Scratchell is very fond of him, he is almost sure to fall over head and ears in love with her.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

WHILEconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading WHILE taking charge of Bella Scratchell’s destiny, Mrs. Dulcimer’s busy mind had not forgotten the interests of her older _protégé_, Sir Kenrick Culverhouse, whose mortgaged estate was to be set free by means of Beatrix Harefield’s fortune.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading She was quite pleased with herself for the brilliant idea of disposing comfortably of Cyril by handing him over to Miss Scratchell, and thus leaving Sir Kenrick without a rival in the field.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading ‘That foolish husband of mine would have been trying to make a match between Beatrix and his favourite Cyril,’ she said to herself.