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The Place of Dragons: A Mystery
The Place of Dragons: A Mystery

Chapter XXV

Cover illustration for The Place of Dragons: A Mystery
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
IS MORE MYSTERIOUS I stood there aghast, staggered, open-mouthed.
The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.
I watched him like a man in a dream.
As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.
In a flash the recollections of that strange affair by the North Sea, in Cromer, recurred to me.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Place of Dragons: A Mystery

Chapter XXV

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
IS MORE MYSTERIOUS I stood there aghast, staggered, open-mouthed.
Line 2
The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.
Line 3
I watched him like a man in a dream.
Line 4
As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.
Line 5
In a flash the recollections of that strange affair by the North Sea, in Cromer, recurred to me.

Learner Dictionary

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

Across preposition US /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading “The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.”

Behind preposition US /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading “As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.”

Dream noun US /driːm/

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading “I watched him like a man in a dream.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.”

Issued noun US /issued/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.”

MYSTERIOUS adjective US /mɪˈstɪriəs/

difficult to explain or understand

From this reading “IS MORE MYSTERIOUS I stood there aghast, staggered, open-mouthed.”

Stood noun US /stood/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “IS MORE MYSTERIOUS I stood there aghast, staggered, open-mouthed.”

Towards preposition US /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading “The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.”

Whence adverb US /wens/

an old word meaning “from where”

From this reading “The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

affair

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

From this reading In a flash the recollections of that strange affair by the North Sea, in Cromer, recurred to me.

aghast

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

From this reading IS MORE MYSTERIOUS I stood there aghast, staggered, open-mouthed.

approached

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

From this reading As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.

bay

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.

bright

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

bushes

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

From this reading As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading In a flash the recollections of that strange affair by the North Sea, in Cromer, recurred to me.

chanson

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

Cromer

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

From this reading In a flash the recollections of that strange affair by the North Sea, in Cromer, recurred to me.

dreamnounUS /driːm/

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading I watched him like a man in a dream.

flash

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

From this reading In a flash the recollections of that strange affair by the North Sea, in Cromer, recurred to me.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

gay

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I watched him like a man in a dream.

house

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading IS MORE MYSTERIOUS I stood there aghast, staggered, open-mouthed.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

ISauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading IS MORE MYSTERIOUS I stood there aghast, staggered, open-mouthed.

issuednounUS /issued/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

lawn

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

light

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

lightly

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

From this reading As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.

like

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

From this reading I watched him like a man in a dream.

man

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading In a flash the recollections of that strange affair by the North Sea, in Cromer, recurred to me.

MORE

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

From this reading IS MORE MYSTERIOUS I stood there aghast, staggered, open-mouthed.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.

MYSTERIOUSadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

difficult to explain or understand

From this reading IS MORE MYSTERIOUS I stood there aghast, staggered, open-mouthed.

North

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

From this reading In a flash the recollections of that strange affair by the North Sea, in Cromer, recurred to me.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.

open-mouthed

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

From this reading IS MORE MYSTERIOUS I stood there aghast, staggered, open-mouthed.

presence

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

From this reading As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.

recollections

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

From this reading In a flash the recollections of that strange affair by the North Sea, in Cromer, recurred to me.

recurred

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

From this reading In a flash the recollections of that strange affair by the North Sea, in Cromer, recurred to me.

roadway

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

Sea

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

From this reading In a flash the recollections of that strange affair by the North Sea, in Cromer, recurred to me.

separated

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

shone

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

slowly

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

staggered

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

From this reading IS MORE MYSTERIOUS I stood there aghast, staggered, open-mouthed.

stoodnounUS /stood/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading IS MORE MYSTERIOUS I stood there aghast, staggered, open-mouthed.

strange

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

From this reading In a flash the recollections of that strange affair by the North Sea, in Cromer, recurred to me.

strip

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading In a flash the recollections of that strange affair by the North Sea, in Cromer, recurred to me.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

there

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

From this reading IS MORE MYSTERIOUS I stood there aghast, staggered, open-mouthed.

tiny

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

tip-toe

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

From this reading As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading In a flash the recollections of that strange affair by the North Sea, in Cromer, recurred to me.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

trod

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

From this reading As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.

unaware

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

From this reading As he approached the house he trod lightly on tip-toe, unaware of my presence behind the bushes.

walking

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

watched

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

From this reading I watched him like a man in a dream.

whenceadverbUS /wens/

an old word meaning “from where”

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.

window

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

From this reading The man was walking slowly towards the house whence issued the gay _chanson_, the house where, in the great bay window, shone a bright light across the tiny strip of lawn which separated it from the roadway.