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Who Was Lost and Is Found: A Novel
Who Was Lost and Is Found: A Novel

Chapter XXIII

Cover illustration for Who Was Lost and Is Found: A Novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.
Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.
One of the policemen held him firm by the arm.
His countenance was dark, his air sullen, like a wild beast taken in the toils.
The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.
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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.

Who Was Lost and Is Found: A Novel

Chapter XXIII

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

Line 1
The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.
Line 2
Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.
Line 3
One of the policemen held him firm by the arm.
Line 4
His countenance was dark, his air sullen, like a wild beast taken in the toils.
Line 5
The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

Learner Dictionary

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

Behind preposition US /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading “The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.”

Party noun US /party/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.”

Quite noun US /quite/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.”

Shadow noun US /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading “The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.”

Stood noun US /stood/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.”

Towards preposition US /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading “The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.”

While conjunction US /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading “The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.”

All words in this reading · 83

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 His countenance was dark, his air sullen, like a wild beast taken in the toils.

advanced

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

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

air

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

From this reading His countenance was dark, his air sullen, like a wild beast taken in the toils.

all

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

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

almost

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

arm

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

From this reading One of the policemen held him firm by the arm.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

background

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

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

beard

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

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

bearded

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

beast

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

From this reading His countenance was dark, his air sullen, like a wild beast taken in the toils.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

brigand

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading One of the policemen held him firm by the arm.

careless

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

clean-shaven

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

cloak

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

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

coat

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

contrary

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

countenance

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

From this reading His countenance was dark, his air sullen, like a wild beast taken in the toils.

dark

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

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

easy

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

effect

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

enemy

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

evil

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

eyes

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

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

face

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

facing

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

fearing

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

figures

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

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

firm

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

From this reading One of the policemen held him firm by the arm.

fixed

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

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

half-smile

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

head

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

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

held

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

From this reading One of the policemen held him firm by the arm.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading One of the policemen held him firm by the arm.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading His countenance was dark, his air sullen, like a wild beast taken in the toils.

inspector

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

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

law

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

like

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

From this reading His countenance was dark, his air sullen, like a wild beast taken in the toils.

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

loose

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

made

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

men

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

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

officers

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

other

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

partynounUS /party/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

policemen

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

From this reading One of the policemen held him firm by the arm.

produced

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

quitenounUS /quite/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

Robbie

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

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

seeking

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

shoulder

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

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

side

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

spruce

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

stoodnounUS /stood/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

sullen

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

From this reading His countenance was dark, his air sullen, like a wild beast taken in the toils.

taken

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

From this reading His countenance was dark, his air sullen, like a wild beast taken in the toils.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

toils

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

From this reading His countenance was dark, his air sullen, like a wild beast taken in the toils.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

two

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

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The other by his side, almost spruce in his loose coat, his clean-shaven face seeking no shadow, facing the enemy with a half-smile upon it, easy, careless, fearing no evil--produced an effect quite contrary to that which the dark and bearded brigand made upon the officers of the law.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Robbie, with his long beard and his cloak over his shoulder, was the one upon whom all eyes were fixed.

wild

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

From this reading His countenance was dark, his air sullen, like a wild beast taken in the toils.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The two men stood with the background of dark figures behind, while the inspector who was at the head of the party advanced towards them.