Chapter 3 of A Stable for Nightmares is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of A Stable for Nightmares is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Fear—sudden, terrible fear—I thought. But _fear_? Fear of what? I asked her. She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
Chapter 3 of A Stable for Nightmares is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
react verbally
From this reading “She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.”
for a short time
From this reading “She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.”
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading “She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.”
inflected form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading “She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.”
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading ““Fear—sudden, terrible fear—I thought.”
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading ““Fear—sudden, terrible fear—I thought.”
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading ““Fear—sudden, terrible fear—I thought.”
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading “She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.”
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.
In this reading “She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
react verbally
From this reading She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I asked her.
for a short time
From this reading She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But _fear_?
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
inflected form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading “Fear—sudden, terrible fear—I thought.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I asked her.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Fear—sudden, terrible fear—I thought.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Fear of what?
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading “Fear—sudden, terrible fear—I thought.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading “Fear—sudden, terrible fear—I thought.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “Fear—sudden, terrible fear—I thought.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading She clung close to me half-sobbing awhile before she could answer; and then she told me—nothing.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Fear of what?
Chapter 3 of A Stable for Nightmares by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 3 holds 417 sentences of A Stable for Nightmares, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of A Stable for Nightmares by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 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.
Common questions about reading A Stable for Nightmares by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2878 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26451 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26451, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 239 minutes of reading across 576 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Stable for Nightmares section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of A Stable for Nightmares 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 Stable for Nightmares, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
