Chapter 18 of A Roman Singer is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of A Roman Singer is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied. He advanced with cautious tread to where Hedwig sat by the window. "Well? What have you done?" she inquired, without looking at him. It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.
Chapter 18 of A Roman Singer is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
farther along in physical or mental development
From this reading “He advanced with cautious tread to where Hedwig sat by the window.”
showing careful forethought
From this reading “He advanced with cautious tread to where Hedwig sat by the window.”
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading “Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.”
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading “What have you done?" she inquired, without looking at him.”
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading “It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.”
filled with satisfaction
From this reading “Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.”
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading “It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.”
put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading “He advanced with cautious tread to where Hedwig sat by the window.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.
farther along in physical or mental development
From this reading He advanced with cautious tread to where Hedwig sat by the window.
later than; following
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
anew
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading What have you done?" she inquired, without looking at him.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He advanced with cautious tread to where Hedwig sat by the window.
showing careful forethought
From this reading He advanced with cautious tread to where Hedwig sat by the window.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading What have you done?" she inquired, without looking at him.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.
a young female
From this reading It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading What have you done?" she inquired, without looking at him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He advanced with cautious tread to where Hedwig sat by the window.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading What have you done?" she inquired, without looking at him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading What have you done?" she inquired, without looking at him.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading What have you done?" she inquired, without looking at him.
impressive in appearance
From this reading It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading He advanced with cautious tread to where Hedwig sat by the window.
filled with satisfaction
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading What have you done?" she inquired, without looking at him.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
a special situation
From this reading It is a hard thing for a proud and noble girl to be in the power of a servant.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He advanced with cautious tread to where Hedwig sat by the window.
put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading He advanced with cautious tread to where Hedwig sat by the window.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What have you done?" she inquired, without looking at him.
in or at the place that
From this reading He advanced with cautious tread to where Hedwig sat by the window.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Temistocle closed the door, then opened it again, and looked out, after which he finally shut it, and seemed satisfied.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading He advanced with cautious tread to where Hedwig sat by the window.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He advanced with cautious tread to where Hedwig sat by the window.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading What have you done?" she inquired, without looking at him.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading What have you done?" she inquired, without looking at him.
Chapter 18 of A Roman Singer by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford holds 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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.
Chapter 18 holds 209 sentences of A Roman Singer, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of A Roman Singer by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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.
Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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.
Common questions about reading A Roman Singer by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5261 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12346 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12346, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 438 minutes of reading across 1053 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Roman Singer section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of A Roman Singer to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Roman Singer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
