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The Strollers
The Strollers

Chapter XVI

Cover illustration for The Strollers
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.
The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.
At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.
Now the steeple of the old church loomed weirdly against the dark background of the sky and then vanished.
On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.
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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 Strollers

Chapter XVI

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.
Line 2
The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.
Line 3
At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.
Line 4
Now the steeple of the old church loomed weirdly against the dark background of the sky and then vanished.
Line 5
On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

Learner Dictionary

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

Against preposition US /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading “Now the steeple of the old church loomed weirdly against the dark background of the sky and then vanished.”

Beneath preposition US /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading “On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.”

Deserted verb US /dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/

left a place or vessel without intending to return

From this reading “The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.”

HAND noun US /hand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.”

Itself pronoun US /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading “On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.”

Phantom noun US /ˈfæn.təm/

A ghost or apparition; a figment of the imagination or a hidden dweller.

From this reading “On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.”

Rest noun US /rest/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.”

Toward preposition US /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading “THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.”

Well noun US /well/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.”

Went noun US /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.”

All words in this reading · 85

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 HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

absolutely

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

From this reading The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Now the steeple of the old church loomed weirdly against the dark background of the sky and then vanished.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

background

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

From this reading Now the steeple of the old church loomed weirdly against the dark background of the sky and then vanished.

barked

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

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

bearing

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

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

buildings

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

From this reading The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

church

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

From this reading Now the steeple of the old church loomed weirdly against the dark background of the sky and then vanished.

churchyard

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

Constance

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

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

dark

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

From this reading The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.

darkness

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

desertedverbUS /dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/

left a place or vessel without intending to return

From this reading The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.

disturbed

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

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

dog

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

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

down

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

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

dwelling

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

From this reading The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.

earliest

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

FERRY

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

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

front

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

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

furiously

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

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

gait

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

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

galloped

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

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

gate

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

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

ghostlike

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

graveyard

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

HAND

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

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

horse

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

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

houses

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

From this reading The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.

immaterial

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

indistinctly

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

like

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

lively

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

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

loomed

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

From this reading Now the steeple of the old church loomed weirdly against the dark background of the sky and then vanished.

marble

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

moved

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

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

noise

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

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

Now

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

From this reading Now the steeple of the old church loomed weirdly against the dark background of the sky and then vanished.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.

old

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

From this reading Now the steeple of the old church loomed weirdly against the dark background of the sky and then vanished.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

out

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

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

outlined

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

past

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

phantomnounUS /ˈfæn.təm/

A ghost or apparition; a figment of the imagination or a hidden dweller.

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

place

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

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

principal

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

From this reading The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.

ran

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

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

rapidly

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

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

restnounUS /rest/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

river

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

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

road

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

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

Saint-Prosper

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

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

settlers

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

sky

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

From this reading Now the steeple of the old church loomed weirdly against the dark background of the sky and then vanished.

slabs

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

sod

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

spirits

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

steeple

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

From this reading Now the steeple of the old church loomed weirdly against the dark background of the sky and then vanished.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

then

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

From this reading Now the steeple of the old church loomed weirdly against the dark background of the sky and then vanished.

there

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

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

thoroughfare

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

From this reading The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading THE HAND FERRY At a lively gait down the road toward the river galloped the horse bearing Saint-Prosper and Constance.

town

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

From this reading The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.

unusual

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

From this reading At one place a dog ran out to the front gate, disturbed by the unusual noise on the road, and barked furiously, but they moved rapidly on.

vanished

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

From this reading Now the steeple of the old church loomed weirdly against the dark background of the sky and then vanished.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.

weirdly

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

From this reading Now the steeple of the old church loomed weirdly against the dark background of the sky and then vanished.

well

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

From this reading The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.

wentnounUS /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The thoroughfare was deserted and the dwelling houses as well as the principal buildings of the town were absolutely dark.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading On; on, they went, past the churchyard, with its marble slabs indistinctly outlined in the darkness, like a phantom graveyard, as immaterial and ghostlike itself as the spirits of the earliest settlers at rest there beneath the sod.