Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Alkahest
The Alkahest

Chapter XI

Cover illustration for The Alkahest
Context Illustration Reading 1/50 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.
Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.
Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.
Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.
About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Alkahest

Chapter XI

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.
Line 2
Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.
Line 3
Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.
Line 4
Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.
Line 5
About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

Learner Dictionary

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

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.”

Brought noun US /ˈbrought/

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

From this reading “Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.”

Left noun US /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.”

Several noun US /ˈseveral/

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

From this reading “Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.”

Under preposition US /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.”

Went noun US /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.”

All words in this reading · 85

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

1817

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

abating

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

absolute

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

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

acquired

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

affairs

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

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

attended

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

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

borrowing

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

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

broughtnounUS /ˈbrought/

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

From this reading Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.

business

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

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.

change

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

From this reading Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.

Claes

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

From this reading Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.

considerable

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

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

country

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

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

de

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

debts

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

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

defenceless

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

Ecole

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

economy

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

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

enter

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

examinations

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

father's

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

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

Felicie

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

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

foreign

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

forest

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

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

Gabriel

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

going

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

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

grief

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

heavily

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

House

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

From this reading Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

languages

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

leading

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

leftnounUS /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

lived

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

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

management

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

Marguerite

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

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

measure

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

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

middle

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

money

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

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

monotony

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

Monsieur

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

months

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

From this reading Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.

necessary

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

oppressed

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

paid

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

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

pass

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

place

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

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

Polytechnique

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

prepared

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

prey

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

property

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

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

retirement

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

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

see

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

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

Several

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

From this reading Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.

slowly

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

Solis

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

solitude

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

studiously

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

sum

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

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

summer

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

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Marguerite and Felicie lived in absolute retirement, going in summer to their father’s country place as a measure of economy.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.

tutor

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

Waignies

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

From this reading Monsieur Claes attended to his business affairs, paid his debts by borrowing a considerable sum of money on his property, and went to see the forest at Waignies.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

wentnounUS /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Several months went by and brought no change to the House of Claes.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.

wise

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

worked

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

From this reading Gabriel, under the wise management of his tutor, Monsieur de Solis, worked studiously, acquired foreign languages, and prepared to pass the necessary examinations to enter the Ecole Polytechnique.

year

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

From this reading About the middle of the year 1817, his grief, slowly abating, left him a prey to solitude and defenceless under the monotony of the life he was leading, which heavily oppressed him.