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Hilda Lessways
Hilda Lessways

Chapter XXXI

Cover illustration for Hilda Lessways
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.
The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.
Alicia alone might have disturbed them, but Alicia was asleep.
Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.
It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.
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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.

Hilda Lessways

Chapter XXXI

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.
Line 2
The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.
Line 3
Alicia alone might have disturbed them, but Alicia was asleep.
Line 4
Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.
Line 5
It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

Learner Dictionary

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

Alone noun US /alone/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Alicia alone might have disturbed them, but Alicia was asleep.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.”

Being auxiliary verb US /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading “It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Alicia alone might have disturbed them, but Alicia was asleep.”

Hers pronoun US /hərz/

the one or ones belonging to her

From this reading “It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.”

Least noun US /least/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.”

Might modal verb US /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “Alicia alone might have disturbed them, but Alicia was asleep.”

Morning noun US /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.”

Never noun US /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.”

Seemed noun US /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.”

Since preposition US /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading “Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.”

Themselves pronoun US /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading “AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.”

Under preposition US /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.”

All words in this reading · 88

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 Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

Alicia

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

From this reading Alicia alone might have disturbed them, but Alicia was asleep.

alonenounUS /alone/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Alicia alone might have disturbed them, but Alicia was asleep.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

any

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

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

asleep

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

From this reading Alicia alone might have disturbed them, but Alicia was asleep.

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

attacked

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

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

away

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

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

Bagster

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

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

barred

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

bars

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

bedroom

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

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Alicia alone might have disturbed them, but Alicia was asleep.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

cab

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

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

clicked

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

disturbed

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

From this reading Alicia alone might have disturbed them, but Alicia was asleep.

door

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

double-locked

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

drove

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

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

early

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

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

entire

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

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

fear

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

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

Florrie

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

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

gentle

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Alicia alone might have disturbed them, but Alicia was asleep.

herspronounUS /hərz/

the one or ones belonging to her

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

Hilda

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

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

invasion

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

inviolate

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

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

iron

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

Janet

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

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

Janet's

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

late

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

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

leastnounUS /least/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

Lessways

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

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

locked

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Alicia alone might have disturbed them, but Alicia was asleep.

morningnounUS /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

mystically

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

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

nevernounUS /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

night

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

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

occupation

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

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

push

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

real

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

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

rendered

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

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

room

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

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

safe

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

security

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

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

seemednounUS /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

sense

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

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

shut

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

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

softly

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

Street

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

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Alicia alone might have disturbed them, but Alicia was asleep.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

there

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

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.

together

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

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

Turnhill

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

From this reading Hilda had a sense of entire security in this room such as she had never had since she drove away from Lessways Street, Turnhill, early one morning, with Florrie Bagster in a cab.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

up

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

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Alicia alone might have disturbed them, but Alicia was asleep.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The door clicked softly under Janet's gentle push, and they were as safe from invasion as if the door had been of iron, and locked and double-locked and barred with bars of iron.

WORKS

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

From this reading AT THE WORKS I That night, late, Hilda and Janet shut themselves up in the bedroom together.

years

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

From this reading It was not that there had been the least real fear of any room of hers being attacked: it was that this room seemed to have been rendered mystically inviolate by long years of Janet's occupation.