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

Chapter XV

Cover illustration for The Mystery of M. Felix
Context Illustration Reading 1/16 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE HALF-BROTHERS.
"It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.
If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.
He was born to riches, and he was too amiable and easy-natured to ripen into wisdom.
When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Mystery of M. Felix

Chapter XV

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE HALF-BROTHERS.
Line 2
"It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.
Line 3
If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.
Line 4
He was born to riches, and he was too amiable and easy-natured to ripen into wisdom.
Line 5
When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

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 “If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.”

Born noun US /born/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.”

Either determiner US /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading “If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “"It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.”

These determiner US /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading “If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.”

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

age

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

amiable

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

From this reading He was born to riches, and he was too amiable and easy-natured to ripen into wisdom.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

better

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

blessed

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

bornnounUS /born/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

Braham

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

cannot

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

certain

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

choice

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

chosen

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

conditions

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

credited

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

dependence

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

direction

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

easy-natured

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

From this reading He was born to riches, and he was too amiable and easy-natured to ripen into wisdom.

eighteen

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

Emilia

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

extent

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

few

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

Gerald

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

given

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

HALF-BROTHERS

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

From this reading THE HALF-BROTHERS.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading He was born to riches, and he was too amiable and easy-natured to ripen into wisdom.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

lie

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

luck

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

lucky

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

master

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

met

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

opposite

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

own

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

Paget

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

place

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

position

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

proverb

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

proverbs

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

rich

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

riches

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

ripen

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

From this reading He was born to riches, and he was too amiable and easy-natured to ripen into wisdom.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE HALF-BROTHERS.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

too

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

From this reading He was born to riches, and he was too amiable and easy-natured to ripen into wisdom.

twenty-four

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was born to riches, and he was too amiable and easy-natured to ripen into wisdom.

wealthy

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading "It is better to be born lucky than rich" is one of the few proverbs to which the lie cannot be given by a proverb in the opposite direction.

wisdom

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading If Gerald Paget had had the choice, and had he been blessed with wisdom, he would have chosen luck in the place of riches, but he could not be credited with either of these conditions.

years

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

From this reading When he first met Emilia Braham he was twenty-four years of age; she was eighteen, and in a position of dependence; Gerald was wealthy, and to a certain extent his own master.