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A Strange Story — Volume 05
A Strange Story — Volume 05

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of A Strange Story — Volume 05 is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Strange Story — Volume 05
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.
Could it be Lilian?
Alas, no!
It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.
I have just come from your house; I went there on purpose to congratulate you, and to talk to you about Lilian.
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 Strange Story — Volume 05

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of A Strange Story — Volume 05 is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.
Line 2
Could it be Lilian?
Line 3
Alas, no!
/əˈlæs noʊ/
Line 4
It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.
/ɪt wɑːz hɜːr ˈmʌðərz vɔɪs ðæt bɪˈtwiːn ˈlæfɪŋ ənd ˈkraɪɪŋ ɪkˈskleɪmd ˌhɪˈsterɪkli ðɪs ɪz dʒɔɪ tuː siː juː əˈɡen ənd ɑːn ðiːz ˈθreʃoʊldz/
Line 5
I have just come from your house; I went there on purpose to congratulate you, and to talk to you about Lilian.

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.

Alas exclamation US /əˈlæs/

used to show sadness, pity, or regret

From this reading “Alas, no!”

cheek noun US /tʃiːk/

either side of the face below the eyes

From this reading “I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.”

congratulate verb US /kənˈɡrætʃəleɪt/

say something to someone that expresses praise

From this reading “I have just come from your house; I went there on purpose to congratulate you, and to talk to you about Lilian.”

crying adjective US /ˈkraɪɪŋ/

demanding attention

From this reading “It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.”

hysterically adverb US /ˌhɪˈsterɪkli/

in a hysterical manner

From this reading “It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.”

kissed verb US /kɪst/

past form of “kiss” — touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.

From this reading “I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.”

mother's noun US /ˈmʌðərz/

possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading “It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.”

thresholds noun US /ˈθreʃoʊldz/

plural of “threshold” — the starting point for a new state or experience

From this reading “It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.”

All words in this reading · 57

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I have just come from your house; I went there on purpose to congratulate you, and to talk to you about Lilian.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

AlasexclamationUS /əˈlæs/

used to show sadness, pity, or regret

From this reading Alas, no!

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

armnounUS /ɑːrm/

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Could it be Lilian?

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

cheeknounUS /tʃiːk/

either side of the face below the eyes

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading I have just come from your house; I went there on purpose to congratulate you, and to talk to you about Lilian.

congratulateverbUS /kənˈɡrætʃəleɪt/

say something to someone that expresses praise

From this reading I have just come from your house; I went there on purpose to congratulate you, and to talk to you about Lilian.

Couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading Could it be Lilian?

cryingadjectiveUS /ˈkraɪɪŋ/

demanding attention

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I have just come from your house; I went there on purpose to congratulate you, and to talk to you about Lilian.

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I have just come from your house; I went there on purpose to congratulate you, and to talk to you about Lilian.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading I have just come from your house; I went there on purpose to congratulate you, and to talk to you about Lilian.

hystericallyadverbUS /ˌhɪˈsterɪkli/

in a hysterical manner

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Could it be Lilian?

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

kissedverbUS /kɪst/

past form of “kiss” — touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

laughingadjectiveUS /ˈlæfɪŋ/

showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

Lilian

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

From this reading Could it be Lilian?

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/

possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Alas, no!

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

purposenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəs/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading I have just come from your house; I went there on purpose to congratulate you, and to talk to you about Lilian.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

talkverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading I have just come from your house; I went there on purpose to congratulate you, and to talk to you about Lilian.

tearsnounUS /terz/

the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading I have just come from your house; I went there on purpose to congratulate you, and to talk to you about Lilian.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

thresholdsnounUS /ˈθreʃoʊldz/

plural of “threshold” — the starting point for a new state or experience

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

thrownadjectiveUS /θroʊn/

caused to fall to the ground

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

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

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

wentverbUS /went/

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

From this reading I have just come from your house; I went there on purpose to congratulate you, and to talk to you about Lilian.

wetted

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

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I was just outside the garden door, when I felt an arm thrown round me, my cheek kissed and wetted with tears.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading It was her mother's voice, that, between laughing and crying, exclaimed hysterically: "This is joy, to see you again, and on these thresholds.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I have just come from your house; I went there on purpose to congratulate you, and to talk to you about Lilian.

Chapter 3 of A Strange Story — Volume 05 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton holds 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 3 of A Strange Story — Volume 05 contain?

Chapter 3 holds 109 sentences of A Strange Story — Volume 05, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of A Strange Story — Volume 05 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 3 of A Strange Story — Volume 05?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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 3 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading A Strange Story — Volume 05

Common questions about reading A Strange Story — Volume 05 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 05?

Yes. All 985 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7696 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Strange Story — Volume 05 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7696, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Strange Story — Volume 05 take to read?

About 82 minutes of reading across 197 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Strange Story — Volume 05 section by section

How to work through A Strange Story — Volume 05 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of A Strange Story — Volume 05 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 Strange Story — Volume 05

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Strange Story — Volume 05, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Lawyer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Story — Volume 05; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Something
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Story — Volume 05; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Smile
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Story — Volume 05; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brought
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Story — Volume 05; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.