A Desperate Voyage

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of A Desperate Voyage is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By E. F. (Edward Frederick) Knight • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

Could it be a hoax?

To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.

It ran as follows:-- "101, LINCOLN'S INN, _July 11, 189-_.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Desperate Voyage

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of A Desperate Voyage is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/8 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

Line 2

He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

Line 3

Could it be a hoax?

/kʊd ɪt biː ə hoʊks/

Line 4

To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.

Line 5

It ran as follows:-- "101, LINCOLN'S INN, _July 11, 189-_.

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.

gentleman's noun US /ˈdʒentəlmʌnz/

possessive form of “gentleman” — a man of refinement

From this reading “He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.”

hoax noun US /hoʊks/

something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage

From this reading “Could it be a hoax?”

landlord noun US /ˈlændlɔːrd/

a landowner who leases to others

From this reading “MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.”

lincoln's noun US /ˈlɪŋkənz/

possessive form of “lincoln” — 16th President of the United States; saved the Union during the American Civil War and emancipated the slaves; was assassinated by Booth (1809-1865)

From this reading “It ran as follows:-- "101, LINCOLN'S INN, _July 11, 189-_.”

rubbed verb US /rʌbd/

inflected form of “rub” — move over something with pressure

From this reading “To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.”

Savory adjective US /ˈseɪvəri/

morally wholesome or acceptable

From this reading “MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.”

valet noun US /væˈleɪ/

a manservant who acts as a personal attendant to his employer

From this reading “MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.”

woke verb US /woʊk/

inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading “MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

without understanding preposition + noun

In this reading “He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.”

in bed preposition + noun

In this reading “To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.”

All words in this reading · 62

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.

101

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

From this reading It ran as follows:-- "101, LINCOLN'S INN, _July 11, 189-_.

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

From this reading It ran as follows:-- "101, LINCOLN'S INN, _July 11, 189-_.

189

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

From this reading It ran as follows:-- "101, LINCOLN'S INN, _July 11, 189-_.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

a-waiting

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

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.

AMERICANnounUS /əˈmerəkən/

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

astonishedadjectiveUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃt/

filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock

From this reading To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Could it be a hoax?

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

Couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading Could it be a hoax?

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.

factotumnoun

a servant employed to do a variety of jobs

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

followsverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊz/

third-person singular of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading It ran as follows:-- "101, LINCOLN'S INN, _July 11, 189-_.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

generaladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

gentleman'snounUS /ˈdʒentəlmʌnz/

possessive form of “gentleman” — a man of refinement

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

half-sleepy

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

From this reading To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

hoaxnounUS /hoʊks/

something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage

From this reading Could it be a hoax?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

INNnounUS /ɪn/

a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers

From this reading It ran as follows:-- "101, LINCOLN'S INN, _July 11, 189-_.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

JulynounUS /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/

the month following June and preceding August

From this reading It ran as follows:-- "101, LINCOLN'S INN, _July 11, 189-_.

landlordnounUS /ˈlændlɔːrd/

a landowner who leases to others

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

LINCOLN'SnounUS /ˈlɪŋkənz/

possessive form of “lincoln” — 16th President of the United States; saved the Union during the American Civil War and emancipated the slaves; was assassinated by Booth (1809-1865)

From this reading It ran as follows:-- "101, LINCOLN'S INN, _July 11, 189-_.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

MILLIONSnounUS /ˈmɪljənz/

plural of “million” — the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

ranverbUS /ræn/

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading It ran as follows:-- "101, LINCOLN'S INN, _July 11, 189-_.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

rubbedverbUS /rʌbd/

inflected form of “rub” — move over something with pressure

From this reading To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.

satnounUS /sæt/

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

From this reading To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.

satisfyverbUS /ˈsætəsfaɪ/

meet the requirements or expectations of

From this reading To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.

SavoryadjectiveUS /ˈseɪvəri/

morally wholesome or acceptable

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

sayingnounUS /ˈseɪɪŋ/

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

simplyadverbUS /ˈsɪmpli/

and nothing more

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.

twiceadverbUS /twaɪs/

two times

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

understandingnounUS /ˌʌndərˈstændɪŋ/

the cognitive condition of someone who understands

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading To satisfy myself, I sat up in bed, rubbed my astonished and still half-sleepy eyes, and read it again.

valetnounUS /væˈleɪ/

a manservant who acts as a personal attendant to his employer

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading He gave me a letter, saying simply, "The gentleman's a-waiting, sir," and I read it twice, without understanding it in the very least.

wokeverbUS /woʊk/

inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading MY AMERICAN MILLIONS It was the middle of the night (as I thought) when Savory--my man, my landlord, valet, and general factotum--came in and woke me.

Chapter 19 of A Desperate Voyage by E. F. (Edward Frederick) Knight holds 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 19 of A Desperate Voyage contain?

Chapter 19 holds 44 sentences of A Desperate Voyage, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of A Desperate Voyage by E. F. (Edward Frederick) Knight exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 19 of A Desperate Voyage?

Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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 Desperate Voyage

Common questions about reading A Desperate Voyage by E. F. (Edward Frederick) Knight on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Desperate Voyage?

Yes. All 3065 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39082 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Desperate Voyage is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #39082, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Desperate Voyage take to read?

About 255 minutes of reading across 613 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Desperate Voyage

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

Carey: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Desperate Voyage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Ground: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Desperate Voyage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XIX

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