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The Casque's Lark
The Casque's Lark

Chapter X

Cover illustration for The Casque's Lark
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
VICTORIA THE GREAT.
I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.
I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.
Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.
She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.
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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 Casque's Lark

Chapter X

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
VICTORIA THE GREAT.
Line 2
I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.
Line 3
I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.
Line 4
Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.
Line 5
She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

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 “She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.”

Beside preposition US /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading “I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.”

Found noun US /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.”

Good noun US /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.”

GREAT noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “VICTORIA THE GREAT.”

Hands plural noun US /hændz/

members of a ship’s crew

From this reading “Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.”

Handsome noun US /ˈhandsome/

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

From this reading “I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.”

Here noun US /here/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.”

Myself pronoun US /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading “She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.”

All words in this reading · 68

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 I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

age

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

From this reading She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

agreeable

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

From this reading Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.

asleep

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

From this reading I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

benefit

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

boy

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

From this reading I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

busy

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

From this reading Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

country

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

cradle

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

From this reading I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

custom

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

From this reading Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.

descendants

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

foundnounUS /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

Gallic

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

glories

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

goodnounUS /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.

grandson

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

From this reading I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

GREATnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading VICTORIA THE GREAT.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.

handsplural nounUS /hændz/

members of a ship’s crew

From this reading Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.

handsomenounUS /ˈhandsome/

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

From this reading I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

hardly

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

From this reading She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

herenounUS /here/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

housekeeper

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

From this reading Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

illustrious

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.

lay

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

From this reading I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

like

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

From this reading She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

needlework

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

From this reading Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

portrait

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

profoundly

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

From this reading I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

purest

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

seated

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

From this reading I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

sewing

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

From this reading Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

some

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

From this reading Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.

son

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

taken

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

From this reading She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading VICTORIA THE GREAT.

then

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

From this reading She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

thirty

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

From this reading She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

thirty-eight

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

From this reading She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

trace

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

two

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

From this reading I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

VICTORIA

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

From this reading VICTORIA THE GREAT.

Victorinin

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

From this reading I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Victoria had some needlework in her hands, and was busy sewing, agreeable to her custom as a good housekeeper.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading I found Victoria seated beside the cradle of her grandson Victorinin, a handsome boy of two who lay profoundly asleep.

wish

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

woman

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

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

years

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

From this reading She was then, like myself, thirty-eight years of age, but she would have been hardly taken for thirty.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I wish, my son, for your benefit and the benefit of our descendants, to trace here the portrait of that illustrious Gallic woman, one of the purest glories of our country.