A Crystal Age

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of A Crystal Age is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By W. H. (William Henry) Hudson • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

As I approached the building, soft strains floating far out into the night-air became audible, and I knew that the sweet spirit of music, to which they were all so devoted, was present with them.

After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

Yoletta had, however, seen me enter, for presently she came to me.

"Why did you not come in to supper, Smith?" she said.

"And why do you look so sad?"

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Chapter XIII Reading 1/26

A Crystal Age W. H. (William Henry) Hudson

Chapter XIII

Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of A Crystal Age is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

As I approached the building, soft strains floating far out into the night-air became audible, and I knew that the sweet spirit of music, to which they were all so devoted, was present with them. After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself. Yoletta had, however, seen me enter, for presently she came to me. "Why did you not come in to supper, Smith?" she said. "And why do you look so sad?"

A Crystal Age

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of A Crystal Age is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

As I approached the building, soft strains floating far out into the night-air became audible, and I knew that the sweet spirit of music, to which they were all so devoted, was present with them.

Line 2

After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

Line 3

Yoletta had, however, seen me enter, for presently she came to me.

Line 4

"Why did you not come in to supper, Smith?" she said.

/waɪ dɪd juː nɑːt kʌm ɪn tuː ˈsʌpər smɪθ ʃiː sed/

Line 5

"And why do you look so sad?"

/ənd waɪ duː juː lʊk soʊ sæd/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

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

audible adjective US /ˈɑːdəbəl/

heard or perceptible by the ear

From this reading “As I approached the building, soft strains floating far out into the night-air became audible, and I knew that the sweet spirit of music, to which they were all so devoted, was present with them.”

awhile adverb US /əˈwaɪl/

for a short time

From this reading “After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.”

disturbing adjective US /dɪˈstɜːrbɪŋ/

causing distress or worry or anxiety

From this reading “After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.”

floating adjective US /ˈfloʊtɪŋ/

borne up by or suspended in a liquid

portico noun US /ˈpɔːrtəkoʊ/

a porch or entrance to a building consisting of a covered and often columned area

From this reading “After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.”

singers noun US /ˈsɪŋərz/

plural of “singer” — a person who sings

From this reading “After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.”

stole noun US /stoʊl/

a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women

From this reading “After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.”

strains noun US /streɪnz/

plural of “strain” — (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

All words in this reading · 74

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

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 After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading As I approached the building, soft strains floating far out into the night-air became audible, and I knew that the sweet spirit of music, to which they were all so devoted, was present with them.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

anxiousadjectiveUS /ˈæŋkʃəs/

eagerly desirous

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

approachedverbUS /əˈproʊtʃt/

past form of “approach” — move towards

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

audibleadjectiveUS /ˈɑːdəbəl/

heard or perceptible by the ear

avoidverbUS /əˈvɔɪd/

stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

awhileadverbUS /əˈwaɪl/

for a short time

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

buildingnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋ/

a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Yoletta had, however, seen me enter, for presently she came to me.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "Why did you not come in to supper, Smith?" she said.

cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

devotedadjectiveUS /dɪˈvoʊtɪd/

zealous in devotion or affection

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading "Why did you not come in to supper, Smith?" she said.

disturbingadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɜːrbɪŋ/

causing distress or worry or anxiety

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "And why do you look so sad?"

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

duskyadjective

lighted by or as if by twilight

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

enterverbUS /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading Yoletta had, however, seen me enter, for presently she came to me.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

floatingadjectiveUS /ˈfloʊtɪŋ/

borne up by or suspended in a liquid

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Yoletta had, however, seen me enter, for presently she came to me.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Yoletta had, however, seen me enter, for presently she came to me.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

listeningnounUS /ˈlɪsənɪŋ/

the act of hearing attentively

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading "And why do you look so sad?"

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Yoletta had, however, seen me enter, for presently she came to me.

musicnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪk/

an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

night-air

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

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "Why did you not come in to supper, Smith?" she said.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

porticonounUS /ˈpɔːrtəkoʊ/

a porch or entrance to a building consisting of a covered and often columned area

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

presentlyadverbUS /ˈprezəntli/

in the near future

From this reading Yoletta had, however, seen me enter, for presently she came to me.

sadadjectiveUS /sæd/

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading "And why do you look so sad?"

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Why did you not come in to supper, Smith?" she said.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Yoletta had, however, seen me enter, for presently she came to me.

shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

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

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Yoletta had, however, seen me enter, for presently she came to me.

singersnounUS /ˈsɪŋərz/

plural of “singer” — a person who sings

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

SmithnounUS /smɪθ/

Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading "Why did you not come in to supper, Smith?" she said.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

softadjectiveUS /sɑːft/

yielding readily to pressure or weight

spiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/

the vital principle or animating force within living things

stolenounUS /stoʊl/

a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

strainsnounUS /streɪnz/

plural of “strain” — (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

suppernounUS /ˈsʌpər/

a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime

From this reading "Why did you not come in to supper, Smith?" she said.

sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading After listening for awhile in the shadow of the portico I went in, and, anxious to avoid disturbing the singers, stole away into a dusky corner, where I sat down by myself.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading "Why did you not come in to supper, Smith?" she said.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

Yoletta

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

From this reading Yoletta had, however, seen me enter, for presently she came to me.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Why did you not come in to supper, Smith?" she said.

Chapter 13 of A Crystal Age by W. H. (William Henry) Hudson holds 134 sentences, grouped into 27 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 13 of A Crystal Age contain?

Chapter 13 holds 134 sentences of A Crystal Age, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of A Crystal Age by W. H. (William Henry) Hudson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 134 sentences, grouped into 27 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 13 of A Crystal Age?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading A Crystal Age

Common questions about reading A Crystal Age by W. H. (William Henry) Hudson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Crystal Age?

Yes. All 2080 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7401 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Crystal Age is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7401, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Crystal Age take to read?

About 173 minutes of reading across 416 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Crystal Age

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Crystal Age, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Quite: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Crystal Age; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Happened: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Crystal Age; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Recollection: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Crystal Age; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Whole: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Crystal Age; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

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