A Hero of Romance

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of A Hero of Romance is here in full — 242 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Richard Marsh • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

That lady was the only person in Mecklemburg House whose authority was not entirely contemned.

Let who would be master, she would be mistress; and she had a way of impressing that fact upon those around her which made it quite impossible for those who came within reach of her influence to avoid respecting.

It was truly miserable weather.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter III Reading 1/48

A Hero of Romance Richard Marsh

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of A Hero of Romance is here in full — 242 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for. They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher. That lady was the only person in Mecklemburg House whose authority was not entirely contemned. Let who would be master, she would be mistress; and she had a way of impressing that fact upon those around her which made it quite impossible for those who came within reach of her influence to avoid respecting. It was truly miserable weather.

A Hero of Romance

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of A Hero of Romance is here in full — 242 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/48 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

Line 2

They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

Line 3

That lady was the only person in Mecklemburg House whose authority was not entirely contemned.

Line 4

/let huː wʊd biː ˈmæstər ʃiː wʊd biː ˈmɪstrəs ənd ʃiː hæd ə weɪ ʌv ˌɪmˈpresɪŋ ðæt fækt əˈpɑːn ðoʊz ərˈaʊnd hɜːr wɪtʃ meɪd ɪt kwaɪt ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl fɔːr ðoʊz huː keɪm wɪˈðɪn riːtʃ ʌv hɜːr ˈɪnfluːəns tuː əˈvɔɪd riˈspektɪŋ/

Line 5

It was truly miserable weather.

/ɪt wɑːz ˈtruːli ˈmɪzərəbəl ˈweðər/

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.

authority noun US /əˈθɔːrəti/

the power or right to give orders or make decisions

From this reading “That lady was the only person in Mecklemburg House whose authority was not entirely contemned.”

avoid verb US /əˈvɔɪd/

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

From this reading “They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.”

Bailey noun US /ˈbeɪli/

United States singer (1918-1990)

From this reading “AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.”

courtyard noun US /ˈkɔːrt.jɑːrd/

An unroofed area that is completely or partially enclosed by the walls of a house.

From this reading “They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.”

Fletcher noun US /ˈfletʃər/

prolific English dramatist who collaborated with Francis Beaumont and many other dramatists (1579-1625)

From this reading “They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.”

impressing verb US /ˌɪmˈpresɪŋ/

-ing form of “impress” — have an emotional or cognitive impact upon

From this reading “Let who would be master, she would be mistress; and she had a way of impressing that fact upon those around her which made it quite impossible for those who came within reach of her influence to avoid respecting.”

miserable adjective US /ˈmɪzərəbəl/

very unhappy; full of misery

From this reading “It was truly miserable weather.”

respecting verb US /riˈspektɪŋ/

-ing form of “respect” — regard highly; think much of

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.

quite impossible adverb + adjective

In this reading “Let who would be master, she would be mistress; and she had a way of impressing that fact upon those around her which made it quite impossible for those who came within reach of her influence to avoid respecting.”

come out verb + adjective

appear or become visible; make a showing

In this reading “AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.”

came within verb + particle counted as “come within”

All words in this reading · 77

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 Let who would be master, she would be mistress; and she had a way of impressing that fact upon those around her which made it quite impossible for those who came within reach of her influence to avoid respecting.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

authoritynounUS /əˈθɔːrəti/

the power or right to give orders or make decisions

From this reading That lady was the only person in Mecklemburg House whose authority was not entirely contemned.

avoidverbUS /əˈvɔɪd/

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

From this reading They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

BaileynounUS /ˈbeɪli/

United States singer (1918-1990)

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

considerverbUS /kənˈsɪdər/

deem to be

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

contemned

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

From this reading That lady was the only person in Mecklemburg House whose authority was not entirely contemned.

courtyardnounUS /ˈkɔːrt.jɑːrd/

An unroofed area that is completely or partially enclosed by the walls of a house.

From this reading They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

entirelyadverbUS /ɪnˈtaɪərli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading That lady was the only person in Mecklemburg House whose authority was not entirely contemned.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

FletchernounUS /ˈfletʃər/

prolific English dramatist who collaborated with Francis Beaumont and many other dramatists (1579-1625)

From this reading They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

grass-grown

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

From this reading They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

HUFFHAM'S

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

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

impossibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/

not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with

impressingverbUS /ˌɪmˈpresɪŋ/

-ing form of “impress” — have an emotional or cognitive impact upon

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading That lady was the only person in Mecklemburg House whose authority was not entirely contemned.

influencenounUS /ˈɪnfluːəns/

a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

keepingnounUS /ˈkiːpɪŋ/

conformity or harmony

From this reading They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading That lady was the only person in Mecklemburg House whose authority was not entirely contemned.

Letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

lynx-eyes

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

From this reading They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

masternounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

Mecklemburg

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

From this reading That lady was the only person in Mecklemburg House whose authority was not entirely contemned.

miserableadjectiveUS /ˈmɪzərəbəl/

very unhappy; full of misery

From this reading It was truly miserable weather.

mistressnounUS /ˈmɪstrəs/

an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man

MOTHERnounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading That lady was the only person in Mecklemburg House whose authority was not entirely contemned.

occurredverbUS /əˈkɜːrd/

inflected form of “occur” — come to pass

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

personnounUS /ˈpɜːrsən/

a human being

From this reading That lady was the only person in Mecklemburg House whose authority was not entirely contemned.

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

reachverbUS /riːtʃ/

reach a destination, either real or abstract

respectingverbUS /riˈspektɪŋ/

-ing form of “respect” — regard highly; think much of

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

slunk

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

From this reading They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

trulyadverbUS /ˈtruːli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading It was truly miserable weather.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

wallnounUS /wɔːl/

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading They slunk across the grass-grown courtyard, keeping as close to the wall as possible, to avoid the lynx-eyes of Mrs. Fletcher.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

weathernounUS /ˈweðər/

the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation

From this reading It was truly miserable weather.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading AT MOTHER HUFFHAM'S It was only when Bailey and his friends were away from the house that it occurred to them to consider what it was they had come out for.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading That lady was the only person in Mecklemburg House whose authority was not entirely contemned.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

Chapter 3 of A Hero of Romance by Richard Marsh holds 242 sentences, grouped into 49 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 3 of A Hero of Romance contain?

Chapter 3 holds 242 sentences of A Hero of Romance, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of A Hero of Romance by Richard Marsh exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 242 sentences, grouped into 49 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 3 of A Hero of Romance?

Work through the 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 49 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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.

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Is this the complete text of A Hero of Romance?

Yes. All 5249 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38160 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #38160, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Hero of Romance take to read?

About 437 minutes of reading across 1050 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Hero of Romance

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Hero of Romance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Punishment: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Hero of Romance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mecklemburg: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Hero of Romance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
House: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Hero of Romance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Miserable: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Hero of Romance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter III

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