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The Evil Shepherd
The Evil Shepherd

Chapter III

Cover illustration for The Evil Shepherd
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.
The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.
Her companion, however, as he recognised Francis hesitated.
His expression of somewhat austere gloom was lightened.
A pleasant but tentative smile parted his lips.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Evil Shepherd

Chapter III

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

Line 1
To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.
Line 2
The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.
Line 3
Her companion, however, as he recognised Francis hesitated.
Line 4
His expression of somewhat austere gloom was lightened.
Line 5
A pleasant but tentative smile parted his lips.

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 “To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.”

Details noun US /ˈdetails/

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

From this reading “The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.”

However adverb US /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading “Her companion, however, as he recognised Francis hesitated.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.”

Passed noun US /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.”

Pleasant noun US /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A pleasant but tentative smile parted his lips.”

Within preposition US /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading “To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

arrivals

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Her companion, however, as he recognised Francis hesitated.

attention

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

austere

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

From this reading His expression of somewhat austere gloom was lightened.

beautiful

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

black

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading A pleasant but tentative smile parted his lips.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

careless

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

chair

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

coldly

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

companion

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

From this reading Her companion, however, as he recognised Francis hesitated.

concerning

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

detailsnounUS /ˈdetails/

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

dressed

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

expression

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

From this reading His expression of somewhat austere gloom was lightened.

extraordinary

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

feet

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

few

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

Francis

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

Frenchwoman

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

friend

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

glance

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

gloom

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

From this reading His expression of somewhat austere gloom was lightened.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Her companion, however, as he recognised Francis hesitated.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Her companion, however, as he recognised Francis hesitated.

hesitated

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

From this reading Her companion, however, as he recognised Francis hesitated.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

holding

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Her companion, however, as he recognised Francis hesitated.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

lightened

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

From this reading His expression of somewhat austere gloom was lightened.

like

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

lips

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

From this reading A pleasant but tentative smile parted his lips.

Louis

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

men

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

new

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

parted

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

From this reading A pleasant but tentative smile parted his lips.

pass

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

passednounUS /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

piloted

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

pleasantnounUS /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A pleasant but tentative smile parted his lips.

reach

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

recognised

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

From this reading Her companion, however, as he recognised Francis hesitated.

serene

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

smile

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

From this reading A pleasant but tentative smile parted his lips.

somewhat

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

From this reading His expression of somewhat austere gloom was lightened.

speculating

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

subsided

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

table

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

tentative

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

From this reading A pleasant but tentative smile parted his lips.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

two

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

unrelieved

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading To reach their table, the one concerning which Francis and his friend had been speculating, the new arrivals, piloted by Louis, had to pass within a few feet of the two men.

woman

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

From this reading The woman, serene, coldly beautiful, dressed like a Frenchwoman in unrelieved black, with extraordinary attention to details, passed them by with a careless glance and subsided into the chair which Louis was holding.