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The Beautiful White Devil
The Beautiful White Devil

Chapter II

Cover illustration for The Beautiful White Devil
Context Illustration Reading 1/56 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.
The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.
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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.

The Beautiful White Devil

Chapter II

Reading 1/56 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.
Line 2
The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.
Line 3
The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.
Line 4
The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.
Line 5
Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.

Learner Dictionary

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

Beside preposition US /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading “The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.”

Between preposition US /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading “The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.”

Booming noun US /ˈbooming/

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

From this reading “The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.”

Everything pronoun US /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading “The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.”

Having auxiliary verb US /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading “The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.”

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.”

Left noun US /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.”

Mysterious adjective US /mɪˈstɪriəs/

difficult to explain or understand

From this reading “The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading “Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.”

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.

abroad

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

From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

attention

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

From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.

await

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

bag

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

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

boomingnounUS /ˈbooming/

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

carried

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

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

depths

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

down

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

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

employer

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

EVENTFUL

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

From this reading AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

few

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

From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.

flooded

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.

gratuity

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

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

gurgled

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

hotel

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

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

just

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

landing-stage

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

leftnounUS /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

moonlight

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

muggy

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

difficult to explain or understand

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

night

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

oily

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

out

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

people

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

From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.

placid

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

planks

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

put

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

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

quaint

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

received

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

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

sampans

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

servant

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

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

shadows

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

shone

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

sleeping

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

soft

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

spare

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

From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.

stepped

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

stroke

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.

threw

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

twelve

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

Very

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

From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.

VOYAGE

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

From this reading AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

water

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Very few people were abroad, and those who were had no attention to spare for me.

wharf

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The last stroke of twelve was just booming out on the muggy night when I stepped on to the landing-stage to await my mysterious employer.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The hotel servant who had carried my bag put it down, and having received his gratuity left me.

wreaths

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

From this reading The soft moonlight flooded everything, threw quaint shadows upon the wharf planks, shone upon the sleeping sampans beside it, and gurgled in oily wreaths on the placid water in the depths between them.