A Romance of Wastdale

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of A Romance of Wastdale is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for A Romance of Wastdale

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Austen Hawke strolled down from Yewbarrow an hour later.

He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

The mistress of the Inn answered the bell and informed him, with intervals between the words as she scratched off the heads of refractory matches, that a gentleman had called to see him during the afternoon.

Hawke swung round towards her, a look of annoyance showing in his face.

Narrator

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.

Chapter II Reading 1/42

A Romance of Wastdale A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of A Romance of Wastdale is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Austen Hawke strolled down from Yewbarrow an hour later. He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory. Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire. The mistress of the Inn answered the bell and informed him, with intervals between the words as she scratched off the heads of refractory matches, that a gentleman had called to see him during the afternoon. Hawke swung round towards her, a look of annoyance showing in his face.

A Romance of Wastdale

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of A Romance of Wastdale is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Austen Hawke strolled down from Yewbarrow an hour later.

Line 2

He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

Line 3

Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

Line 4

/ðə ˈmɪstrəs ʌv ðə ɪn ˈænsərd ðə bel ənd ˌɪnˈfɔːrmd hɪm wɪð ˈɪntərvəlz bɪˈtwiːn ðə wɜːrdz æz ʃiː skrætʃt ɔːf ðə hedz ʌv rəˈfræktəri ˈmætʃəz ðæt ə ˈdʒentəlmən hæd kɔːld tuː siː hɪm ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˌæftərˈnuːn/

Line 5

Hawke swung round towards her, a look of annoyance showing in his face.

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.

annoyance noun US /əˈnɔɪəns/

the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed

From this reading “Hawke swung round towards her, a look of annoyance showing in his face.”

Austen noun US /ˈɔːstɪn/

English novelist noted for her insightful portrayals of middle-class families (1775-1817)

From this reading “Austen Hawke strolled down from Yewbarrow an hour later.”

complacently adverb US /kəmˈpleɪsəntli/

in a self-satisfied manner

From this reading “Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.”

lithe adjective US /laɪð/

gracefully thin and bending and moving with ease

From this reading “He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.”

matches noun US /ˈmætʃəz/

plural of “match” — lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction

From this reading “The mistress of the Inn answered the bell and informed him, with intervals between the words as she scratched off the heads of refractory matches, that a gentleman had called to see him during the afternoon.”

refractory adjective US /rəˈfræktəri/

not responding to treatment

scratched verb US /skrætʃt/

past form of “scratch” — cause friction

strolled verb US /stroʊld/

past form of “stroll” — walk leisurely and with no apparent aim

From this reading “Austen Hawke strolled down from Yewbarrow an hour later.”

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.

tall figure adjective + noun

In this reading “He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.”

swung round verb + noun counted as “swing round”

In this reading “Hawke swung round towards her, a look of annoyance showing in his face.”

during the afternoon preposition + article + noun counted as “during … afternoon”

In this reading “The mistress of the Inn answered the bell and informed him, with intervals between the words as she scratched off the heads of refractory matches, that a gentleman had called to see him during the afternoon.”

All words in this reading · 79

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 He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading The mistress of the Inn answered the bell and informed him, with intervals between the words as she scratched off the heads of refractory matches, that a gentleman had called to see him during the afternoon.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Austen Hawke strolled down from Yewbarrow an hour later.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

annoyancenounUS /əˈnɔɪəns/

the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed

From this reading Hawke swung round towards her, a look of annoyance showing in his face.

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

arm-chair

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

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

AustennounUS /ˈɔːstɪn/

English novelist noted for her insightful portrayals of middle-class families (1775-1817)

From this reading Austen Hawke strolled down from Yewbarrow an hour later.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

bellnounUS /bel/

a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

complacentlyadverbUS /kəmˈpleɪsəntli/

in a self-satisfied manner

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Austen Hawke strolled down from Yewbarrow an hour later.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

fittedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪtəd/

being the right size and shape to fit as desired

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Austen Hawke strolled down from Yewbarrow an hour later.

gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

Hawke

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

From this reading Austen Hawke strolled down from Yewbarrow an hour later.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

headsnounUS /hedz/

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Hawke swung round towards her, a look of annoyance showing in his face.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading Austen Hawke strolled down from Yewbarrow an hour later.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

informedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈfɔːrmd/

having much knowledge or education

InnnounUS /ɪn/

a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers

InsideadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

intervalsnounUS /ˈɪntərvəlz/

plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

keenadjectiveUS /kiːn/

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading Austen Hawke strolled down from Yewbarrow an hour later.

lightsnounUS /laɪts/

plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

limbnounUS /lɪm/

one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

litheadjectiveUS /laɪð/

gracefully thin and bending and moving with ease

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Hawke swung round towards her, a look of annoyance showing in his face.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

matchesnounUS /ˈmætʃəz/

plural of “match” — lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction

memorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

mistressnounUS /ˈmɪstrəs/

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

movementnounUS /ˈmuːvmənt/

a change of position that does not entail a change of location

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

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

one's

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

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

rangverbUS /ræŋ/

inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

refractoryadjectiveUS /rəˈfræktəri/

not responding to treatment

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading Hawke swung round towards her, a look of annoyance showing in his face.

scratchedverbUS /skrætʃt/

past form of “scratch” — cause friction

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

showingnounUS /ˈʃoʊɪŋ/

the display of a motion picture

From this reading Hawke swung round towards her, a look of annoyance showing in his face.

sitting-room

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

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

spareverbUS /sper/

refrain from harming

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

stretchedadjectiveUS /stretʃt/

(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

strolledverbUS /stroʊld/

past form of “stroll” — walk leisurely and with no apparent aim

From this reading Austen Hawke strolled down from Yewbarrow an hour later.

swungverbUS /swʌŋ/

inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading Hawke swung round towards her, a look of annoyance showing in his face.

talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

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

From this reading Inside his sitting-room it was already dark, and he rang for lights and stretched himself complacently in an arm-chair before the fire.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading Hawke swung round towards her, a look of annoyance showing in his face.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He was a man of a tall figure, spare of limb and lithe of movement, with a keen, narrow face, which fitted itself into one's memory.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

Yewbarrow

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

From this reading Austen Hawke strolled down from Yewbarrow an hour later.

Chapter 2 of A Romance of Wastdale by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason holds 213 sentences, grouped into 43 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 2 of A Romance of Wastdale contain?

Chapter 2 holds 213 sentences of A Romance of Wastdale, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of A Romance of Wastdale by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 213 sentences, grouped into 43 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 2 of A Romance of Wastdale?

Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 43 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Romance of Wastdale

Common questions about reading A Romance of Wastdale by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Romance of Wastdale?

Yes. All 1870 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38719 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Romance of Wastdale is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #38719, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Romance of Wastdale take to read?

About 155 minutes of reading across 374 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Romance of Wastdale

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

Diphthong: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Romance of Wastdale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Represented: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Romance of Wastdale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jackson: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Romance of Wastdale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Feeding: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Romance of Wastdale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter II

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