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A Strange Story — Volume 03
A Strange Story — Volume 03

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of A Strange Story — Volume 03 is here in full — 53 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Strange Story — Volume 03
Context Illustration Reading 1/10 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.
I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.
I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.
The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.
I recognized the voice before I could distinguish the form of Sir Philip Derval.
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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 Strange Story — Volume 03

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of A Strange Story — Volume 03 is here in full — 53 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/10 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.
/aɪ wɔːkt ɑːn ˈsloʊli ənd wɪð ðə ˈdaʊnkæst braʊ ʌv ə mæn əbˈzɔːrbd ɪn ˌmedəˈteɪʃən/
Line 2
I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.
/aɪ hæd ɡeɪnd ðə brɔːd pleɪs ɪn wɪtʃ ðə meɪn striːts ʌv ðə taʊn kənˈvɜːrdʒd wen aɪ wɑːz ˈoʊvərteɪkən baɪ ə ˈvaɪələnt stɔːrm ʌv reɪn/
Line 3
I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.
/aɪ sɔːt ˈʃeltər ˈʌndər ðə dɑːrk ˈɑːrtʃweɪ ʌv ðæt ˈentrəns tuː ðə ˈdɪstrɪkt ʌv ˈæbi hɪl wɪtʃ wɑːz stɪl kɔːld mʌŋks ɡeɪt/
Line 4
The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.
/ðə ˈʃæd.oʊ wɪˈðɪn ðə ɑːrtʃ wɑːz soʊ diːp ðæt aɪ wɑːz nɑːt əˈwer ðæt aɪ hæd ə kəmˈpænjən tɪl aɪ bɪrd maɪ oʊn neɪm kloʊs æt maɪ saɪd/
Line 5
I recognized the voice before I could distinguish the form of Sir Philip Derval.

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.

Abbey noun US /ˈæbi/

a church associated with a monastery or convent

From this reading “I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.”

arch noun US /ɑːrtʃ/

a curved shape in the vertical plane that spans an opening

From this reading “The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.”

archway noun US /ˈɑːrtʃweɪ/

a passageway under a curved masonry construction

From this reading “I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.”

converged verb US /kənˈvɜːrdʒd/

past form of “converge” — be adjacent or come together

From this reading “I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.”

downcast adjective US /ˈdaʊnkæst/

directed downward

From this reading “I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.”

meditation noun US /ˌmedəˈteɪʃən/

continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature

From this reading “I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.”

Monk's noun US /mʌŋks/

possessive form of “monk” — a male religious living in a cloister and devoting himself to contemplation and prayer and work

From this reading “I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.”

overtaken verb US /ˈoʊvərteɪkən/

inflected form of “overtake” — catch up with and possibly overtake

From this reading “I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

AbbeynounUS /ˈæbi/

a church associated with a monastery or convent

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

absorbedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɔːrbd/

giving or marked by complete attention to

From this reading I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

archnounUS /ɑːrtʃ/

a curved shape in the vertical plane that spans an opening

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

archwaynounUS /ˈɑːrtʃweɪ/

a passageway under a curved masonry construction

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

awareadjectiveUS /əˈwer/

(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

beardnounUS /bɪrd/

the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading I recognized the voice before I could distinguish the form of Sir Philip Derval.

broadadjectiveUS /brɔːd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

brownounUS /braʊ/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

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

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

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

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

convergedverbUS /kənˈvɜːrdʒd/

past form of “converge” — be adjacent or come together

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading I recognized the voice before I could distinguish the form of Sir Philip Derval.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

Derval

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

From this reading I recognized the voice before I could distinguish the form of Sir Philip Derval.

distinguishverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/

mark as different

From this reading I recognized the voice before I could distinguish the form of Sir Philip Derval.

districtnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

downcastadjectiveUS /ˈdaʊnkæst/

directed downward

From this reading I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

entrancenounUS /ˈentrəns/

something that provides access (to get in or get out)

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

formnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading I recognized the voice before I could distinguish the form of Sir Philip Derval.

gainedverbUS /ɡeɪnd/

past form of “gain” — obtain

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

GatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

HillnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

mainadjectiveUS /meɪn/

most important element

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

meditationnounUS /ˌmedəˈteɪʃən/

continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature

From this reading I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

Monk'snounUS /mʌŋks/

possessive form of “monk” — a male religious living in a cloister and devoting himself to contemplation and prayer and work

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

overtakenverbUS /ˈoʊvərteɪkən/

inflected form of “overtake” — catch up with and possibly overtake

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

PhilipnounUS /ˈfɪləp/

Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)

From this reading I recognized the voice before I could distinguish the form of Sir Philip Derval.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

rainnounUS /reɪn/

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

recognizedadjectiveUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading I recognized the voice before I could distinguish the form of Sir Philip Derval.

shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

shelternounUS /ˈʃeltər/

a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading I recognized the voice before I could distinguish the form of Sir Philip Derval.

slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

soughtadjectiveUS /sɔːt/

that is looked for

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

stormverbUS /stɔːrm/

behave violently, as if in state of a great anger

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

streetsnounUS /striːts/

plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading I sought shelter under the dark archway of that entrance to the district of Abbey Hill which was still called Monk's Gate.

violentadjectiveUS /ˈvaɪələnt/

acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading I recognized the voice before I could distinguish the form of Sir Philip Derval.

walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading I had gained the broad place in which the main streets of the town converged, when I was overtaken by a violent storm of rain.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I walked on slowly and with the downcast brow of a man absorbed in meditation.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading The shadow within the arch was so deep that I was not aware that I had a companion till I beard my own name, close at my side.

Chapter 10 of A Strange Story — Volume 03 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton holds 53 sentences, grouped into 11 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 10 of A Strange Story — Volume 03 contain?

Chapter 10 holds 53 sentences of A Strange Story — Volume 03, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of A Strange Story — Volume 03 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 53 sentences, grouped into 11 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 10 of A Strange Story — Volume 03?

Work through the 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 11 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 Strange Story — Volume 03

Common questions about reading A Strange Story — Volume 03 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Strange Story — Volume 03?

Yes. All 947 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7694 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Strange Story — Volume 03 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7694, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Strange Story — Volume 03 take to read?

About 78 minutes of reading across 190 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Strange Story — Volume 03 section by section

How to work through A Strange Story — Volume 03 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of A Strange Story — Volume 03 to begin.

  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in A Strange Story — Volume 03

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Strange Story — Volume 03, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Intercourse
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Story — Volume 03; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Margrave
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Story — Volume 03; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Habitual
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Story — Volume 03; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Familiar
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Story — Volume 03; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.