Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Two on a Tower
Two on a Tower

Chapter XII

Cover illustration for Two on a Tower
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
'I cannot bear this any longer!' he exclaimed.
'Three months since I saw you alone!
Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!
What a fearful struggle this keeping apart has been!'
'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.
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.

Two on a Tower

Chapter XII

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
'I cannot bear this any longer!' he exclaimed.
Line 2
'Three months since I saw you alone!
Line 3
Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!
Line 4
What a fearful struggle this keeping apart has been!'
Line 5
'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

Learner Dictionary

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

Alone noun US /alone/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “'Three months since I saw you alone!”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “What a fearful struggle this keeping apart has been!'”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.”

Has auxiliary verb US /hæz/

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

From this reading “What a fearful struggle this keeping apart has been!'”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.”

Seemed noun US /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.”

Since preposition US /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading “'Three months since I saw you alone!”

Speak noun US /speak/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.”

Strength noun US /ˈstrength/

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

From this reading “'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.”

Yet conjunction US /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading “'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!

alarmed

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

all

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

From this reading Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!

alonenounUS /alone/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading 'Three months since I saw you alone!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

any

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

From this reading 'I cannot bear this any longer!' he exclaimed.

apart

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

From this reading What a fearful struggle this keeping apart has been!'

bear

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

From this reading 'I cannot bear this any longer!' he exclaimed.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading What a fearful struggle this keeping apart has been!'

best

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

bow

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

From this reading Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!

cannot

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

From this reading 'I cannot bear this any longer!' he exclaimed.

church

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

From this reading Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!

condition

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

distance

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

From this reading Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!

exclaimed

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

From this reading 'I cannot bear this any longer!' he exclaimed.

fearful

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

From this reading What a fearful struggle this keeping apart has been!'

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!

glimpse

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

From this reading Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading What a fearful struggle this keeping apart has been!'

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading 'I cannot bear this any longer!' he exclaimed.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading 'I cannot bear this any longer!' he exclaimed.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

keeping

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

From this reading What a fearful struggle this keeping apart has been!'

longer

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

From this reading 'I cannot bear this any longer!' he exclaimed.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

months

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

From this reading 'Three months since I saw you alone!

murmured

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

Only

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

From this reading Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!

persist

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

saddened

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

saw

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

From this reading 'Three months since I saw you alone!

seemednounUS /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading 'Three months since I saw you alone!

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

speak

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

strengthnounUS /ˈstrength/

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

struggle

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

From this reading What a fearful struggle this keeping apart has been!'

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading 'I cannot bear this any longer!' he exclaimed.

Three

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

From this reading 'Three months since I saw you alone!

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Only a glimpse of you in church, or a bow from the distance, in all that time!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What a fearful struggle this keeping apart has been!'

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

words

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading 'Three months since I saw you alone!

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading 'Yet I would have had strength to persist, since it seemed best,' she murmured when she could speak, 'had not your words on your condition so alarmed and saddened me.