Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A Modern Chronicle — Complete
A Modern Chronicle — Complete

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of A Modern Chronicle — Complete is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Modern Chronicle — Complete
Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It was Saturday morning, but Honora had forgotten the fact.
Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.
Thus she stood for a while, motionless, and then went quietly into the drawing-room.
The French windows looking out on the porch were, as usual, open.
It was an odd sensation thus to be regarding one's husband objectively.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Modern Chronicle — Complete

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of A Modern Chronicle — Complete is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It was Saturday morning, but Honora had forgotten the fact.
Line 2
Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.
Line 3
Thus she stood for a while, motionless, and then went quietly into the drawing-room.
Line 4
The French windows looking out on the porch were, as usual, open.
/ðə frentʃ ˈwɪndoʊz ˈlʊkɪŋ aʊt ɑːn ðə pɔːrtʃ wɜːr æz ˈjuːʒəwəl ˈoʊ.pən/
Line 5
It was an odd sensation thus to be regarding one's husband objectively.

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.

cigarettes noun US /ˌsɪɡərˈets/

plural of “cigarette” — finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking

From this reading “Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.”

clutched verb US /klʌtʃt/

past form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab

From this reading “Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.”

objectively adverb US /ɑːbˈdʒektɪvli/

with objectivity

From this reading “It was an odd sensation thus to be regarding one's husband objectively.”

odour noun US /ˈoʊdər/

the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form

From this reading “Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.”

porch noun US /pɔːrtʃ/

a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance

From this reading “The French windows looking out on the porch were, as usual, open.”

regarding verb US /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ/

-ing form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading “It was an odd sensation thus to be regarding one's husband objectively.”

Saturday noun US /ˈsætərdi/

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

From this reading “It was Saturday morning, but Honora had forgotten the fact.”

sensation noun US /senˈseɪʃən/

an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation

From this reading “It was an odd sensation thus to be regarding one's husband objectively.”

All words in this reading · 58

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 Thus she stood for a while, motionless, and then went quietly into the drawing-room.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading It was an odd sensation thus to be regarding one's husband objectively.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The French windows looking out on the porch were, as usual, open.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

banisters

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

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading It was an odd sensation thus to be regarding one's husband objectively.

bottomnounUS /ˈbɑːtəm/

the lower side of anything

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It was Saturday morning, but Honora had forgotten the fact.

cigarettesnounUS /ˌsɪɡərˈets/

plural of “cigarette” — finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

clutchedverbUS /klʌtʃt/

past form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

drawing-room

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

From this reading Thus she stood for a while, motionless, and then went quietly into the drawing-room.

factnounUS /fækt/

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

From this reading It was Saturday morning, but Honora had forgotten the fact.

faintadjectiveUS /feɪnt/

deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Thus she stood for a while, motionless, and then went quietly into the drawing-room.

forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading It was Saturday morning, but Honora had forgotten the fact.

FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/

the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France

From this reading The French windows looking out on the porch were, as usual, open.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It was Saturday morning, but Honora had forgotten the fact.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

Honora

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

From this reading It was Saturday morning, but Honora had forgotten the fact.

husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading It was an odd sensation thus to be regarding one's husband objectively.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Thus she stood for a while, motionless, and then went quietly into the drawing-room.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was Saturday morning, but Honora had forgotten the fact.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading The French windows looking out on the porch were, as usual, open.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading It was Saturday morning, but Honora had forgotten the fact.

motionlessadjectiveUS /ˈmoʊʃənləs/

not in physical motion

From this reading Thus she stood for a while, motionless, and then went quietly into the drawing-room.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

objectivelyadverbUS /ɑːbˈdʒektɪvli/

with objectivity

From this reading It was an odd sensation thus to be regarding one's husband objectively.

oddadjectiveUS /ɑːd/

not divisible by two

From this reading It was an odd sensation thus to be regarding one's husband objectively.

odournounUS /ˈoʊdər/

the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

one's

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

From this reading It was an odd sensation thus to be regarding one's husband objectively.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading The French windows looking out on the porch were, as usual, open.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The French windows looking out on the porch were, as usual, open.

porchnounUS /pɔːrtʃ/

a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance

From this reading The French windows looking out on the porch were, as usual, open.

quietlyadverbUS /ˈkwaɪətli/

with low volume

From this reading Thus she stood for a while, motionless, and then went quietly into the drawing-room.

reachverbUS /riːtʃ/

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

regardingverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ/

-ing form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading It was an odd sensation thus to be regarding one's husband objectively.

SaturdaynounUS /ˈsætərdi/

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

From this reading It was Saturday morning, but Honora had forgotten the fact.

sensationnounUS /senˈseɪʃən/

an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation

From this reading It was an odd sensation thus to be regarding one's husband objectively.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

stepnounUS /step/

any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Thus she stood for a while, motionless, and then went quietly into the drawing-room.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was Saturday morning, but Honora had forgotten the fact.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Thus she stood for a while, motionless, and then went quietly into the drawing-room.

ThusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading Thus she stood for a while, motionless, and then went quietly into the drawing-room.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was an odd sensation thus to be regarding one's husband objectively.

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Not until she was on the bottom step did the odour of cigarettes reach her and turn her faint; and she clutched suddenly at the banisters.

usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading The French windows looking out on the porch were, as usual, open.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was Saturday morning, but Honora had forgotten the fact.

wentverbUS /went/

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

From this reading Thus she stood for a while, motionless, and then went quietly into the drawing-room.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The French windows looking out on the porch were, as usual, open.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Thus she stood for a while, motionless, and then went quietly into the drawing-room.

windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading The French windows looking out on the porch were, as usual, open.

Chapter 26 of A Modern Chronicle — Complete by Winston Churchill holds 160 sentences, grouped into 32 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 26 of A Modern Chronicle — Complete contain?

Chapter 26 holds 160 sentences of A Modern Chronicle — Complete, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 26 of A Modern Chronicle — Complete by Winston Churchill exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 160 sentences, grouped into 32 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 26 of A Modern Chronicle — Complete?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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 26 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 26 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 Modern Chronicle — Complete

Common questions about reading A Modern Chronicle — Complete by Winston Churchill on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Modern Chronicle — Complete?

Yes. All 10653 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5382 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Modern Chronicle — Complete is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5382, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Modern Chronicle — Complete take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2131 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Modern Chronicle — Complete section by section

How to work through A Modern Chronicle — Complete section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of A Modern Chronicle — Complete to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Modern Chronicle — Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Modern Chronicle — Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Saint
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Chronicle — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Louis
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Chronicle — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Called
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Chronicle — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dealers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Chronicle — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.