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The Czar's Spy: The Mystery of a Silent Love
The Czar's Spy: The Mystery of a Silent Love

Chapter VII

Cover illustration for The Czar's Spy: The Mystery of a Silent Love
Context Illustration Reading 1/60 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.
With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.
A body lay there, doubled up and crushed into the well-like hole the men had dug.
Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.
Both had been assassinated!
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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 Czar's Spy: The Mystery of a Silent Love

Chapter VII

Reading 1/60 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.
Line 2
With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.
Line 3
A body lay there, doubled up and crushed into the well-like hole the men had dug.
Line 4
Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.
Line 5
Both had been assassinated!

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 “CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.”

Beneath preposition US /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading “CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.”

Body noun US /body/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A body lay there, doubled up and crushed into the well-like hole the men had dug.”

Brought noun US /ˈbrought/

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

From this reading “CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.”

Hands plural noun US /hændz/

members of a ship’s crew

From this reading “With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.”

Part noun US /part/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.”

Pulled noun US /pulled/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.”

Something pronoun US /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading “With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.”

Suddenly noun US /ˈsuddenly/

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

From this reading “With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.”

Until preposition US /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading “With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.”

All words in this reading · 83

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 CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

afterwards

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

Armida

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

assassinated

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

From this reading Both had been assassinated!

away

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

bodynounUS /body/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A body lay there, doubled up and crushed into the well-like hole the men had dug.

BothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading Both had been assassinated!

broughtnounUS /ˈbrought/

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

CONTAINS

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

crushed

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

From this reading A body lay there, doubled up and crushed into the well-like hole the men had dug.

dark

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

dirt

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

doubled

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

From this reading A body lay there, doubled up and crushed into the well-like hole the men had dug.

dug

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

From this reading A body lay there, doubled up and crushed into the well-like hole the men had dug.

eagerness

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

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

features

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

feet

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

frantic

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

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

got

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

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

gray

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

handsplural nounUS /hændz/

members of a ship’s crew

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

hard

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

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

hole

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

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

lay

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

From this reading A body lay there, doubled up and crushed into the well-like hole the men had dug.

Leghorn

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

light

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

made

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

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

married

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

men

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

From this reading A body lay there, doubled up and crushed into the well-like hole the men had dug.

mold

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

object

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

Olinto

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

out

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

partnounUS /part/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

piece

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

proved

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

pullednounUS /pulled/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

recognized

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

removed

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

servant

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

skirt

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

soil

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

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

stuff

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

suddenlynounUS /ˈsuddenly/

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

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

surface

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

SURPRISE

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

there

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

From this reading A body lay there, doubled up and crushed into the well-like hole the men had dug.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

Together

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

touched

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

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

two

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

up

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

From this reading A body lay there, doubled up and crushed into the well-like hole the men had dug.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

waxen

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

well-like

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

From this reading A body lay there, doubled up and crushed into the well-like hole the men had dug.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

wiping

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading With frantic eagerness I got into the hole we had made and removed the soil with my hands, until I suddenly touched something hard.

woman

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

From this reading Together we pulled it out, when, to my surprise, on wiping away the dirt from the hard waxen features, I recognized it as the body of Armida, the woman who had been my servant in Leghorn and who had afterwards married Olinto.

woman's

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.

woolen

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

From this reading CONTAINS A SURPRISE The first object brought to light, about two feet beneath the surface, was a piece of dark gray woolen stuff which, when the mold was removed, proved to be part of a woman's skirt.