Burning Sands

Chapter XXVIII · The Surprising Fortnight

Chapter XXVIII of Burning Sands, “The Surprising Fortnight,” is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Arthur E. P. Brome (Arthur Edward Pearse Brome) Weigall • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

“Send Mustafa to me,” she said to him, but, understanding no English, and grasping only the name of the dragoman, he pointed towards the Oasis, indicating by signs that the man had not yet returned.

At this she went to the door of her room and called out sharply “Mr. Lane!”

Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXVIII Reading 1/35

Burning Sands Arthur E. P. Brome (Arthur Edward Pearse Brome) Weigall

Chapter XXVIII

The Surprising Fortnight

Chapter XXVIII of Burning Sands, “The Surprising Fortnight,” is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath. “Send Mustafa to me,” she said to him, but, understanding no English, and grasping only the name of the dragoman, he pointed towards the Oasis, indicating by signs that the man had not yet returned. At this she went to the door of her room and called out sharply “Mr. Lane!” Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel. “What’s the matter?” he asked.

Burning Sands

Chapter XXVIII · The Surprising Fortnight

Chapter XXVIII of Burning Sands, “The Surprising Fortnight,” is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

Line 2

Line 3

At this she went to the door of her room and called out sharply “Mr. Lane!”

/æt ðɪs ʃiː went tuː ðə dɔːr ʌv hɜːr ruːm ənd kɔːld aʊt ˈʃɑːrpli ˈmɪstər leɪn/

Line 4

Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

Line 5

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

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.

cans noun US /kænz/

plural of “can” — airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc.

From this reading “It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.”

drying verb US /ˈdraɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “dry” — remove the moisture from and make dry

From this reading “Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.”

ducked verb US /dʌkt/

past form of “duck” — to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away

From this reading “Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.”

Hussein noun US /huːˈseɪn/

Iraqi leader who waged war against Iran; his invasion of Kuwait led to the Gulf War (born in 1937)

Oasis noun US /oʊˈeɪsɪs/

a fertile tract in a desert (where the water table approaches the surface)

From this reading ““Send Mustafa to me,” she said to him, but, understanding no English, and grasping only the name of the dragoman, he pointed towards the Oasis, indicating by signs that the man had not yet returned.”

pail noun US /peɪl/

a roughly cylindrical vessel that is open at the top

From this reading “Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.”

refreshments noun US /rəˈfreʃmənts/

plural of “refreshment” — snacks and drinks served as a light meal

towel noun US /ˈtaʊəl/

a rectangular piece of absorbent cloth (or paper) for drying or wiping

From this reading “Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.”

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.

at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.”

indicating by verb + particle counted as “indicate by”

In this reading ““Send Mustafa to me,” she said to him, but, understanding no English, and grasping only the name of the dragoman, he pointed towards the Oasis, indicating by signs that the man had not yet returned.”

came into verb + particle counted as “come into”

obtain, especially accidentally

In this reading “Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.”

called out verb + adjective counted as “call out”

utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

In this reading “At this she went to the door of her room and called out sharply “Mr. Lane!””

reached the house verb + article + noun counted as “reach … house”

at the moment preposition + article + noun counted as “at … moment”

In this reading “Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.”

name of verb + particle

All words in this reading · 82

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 Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

advisedadjectiveUS /ædˈvaɪzd/

having the benefit of careful prior consideration or counsel

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “What’s the matter?” he asked.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

bathnounUS /bæθ/

a vessel containing liquid in which something is immersed (as to process it or to maintain it at a constant temperature or to lubricate it)

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “Send Mustafa to me,” she said to him, but, understanding no English, and grasping only the name of the dragoman, he pointed towards the Oasis, indicating by signs that the man had not yet returned.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

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

From this reading At this she went to the door of her room and called out sharply “Mr. Lane!”

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

cansnounUS /kænz/

plural of “can” — airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc.

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

DanielnounUS /ˈdænjəl/

(Old Testament) a youth who was taken into the court of Nebuchadnezzar and given divine protection when thrown into a den of lions (6th century BC)

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

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

From this reading At this she went to the door of her room and called out sharply “Mr. Lane!”

dragomannoun

an interpreter and guide in the Near East

dryingverbUS /ˈdraɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “dry” — remove the moisture from and make dry

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

duckedverbUS /dʌkt/

past form of “duck” — to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

EnglishnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

graspingnounUS /ˈɡræspɪŋ/

understanding with difficulty

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

HusseinnounUS /huːˈseɪn/

Iraqi leader who waged war against Iran; his invasion of Kuwait led to the Gulf War (born in 1937)

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

indicatingverbUS /ˈɪndəkeɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

LanenounUS /leɪn/

a narrow way or road

From this reading At this she went to the door of her room and called out sharply “Mr. Lane!”

mannounUS /mæn/

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

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading “What’s the matter?” he asked.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

mid-morning

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

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading At this she went to the door of her room and called out sharply “Mr. Lane!”

Muriel

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

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

Mustafa

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

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

OasisnounUS /oʊˈeɪsɪs/

a fertile tract in a desert (where the water table approaches the surface)

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading At this she went to the door of her room and called out sharply “Mr. Lane!”

pailnounUS /peɪl/

a roughly cylindrical vessel that is open at the top

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

pointedadjectiveUS /ˈpɔɪntɪd/

having a point

presentlyadverbUS /ˈprezəntli/

in the near future

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

refectorynoun

a communal dining-hall (usually in a monastery)

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

refreshmentsnounUS /rəˈfreʃmənts/

plural of “refreshment” — snacks and drinks served as a light meal

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

SendverbUS /send/

cause to go somewhere

sharplyadverbUS /ˈʃɑːrpli/

in an aggressive manner

From this reading At this she went to the door of her room and called out sharply “Mr. Lane!”

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

signsnounUS /saɪnz/

plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

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 It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading At this she went to the door of her room and called out sharply “Mr. Lane!”

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

towelnounUS /ˈtaʊəl/

a rectangular piece of absorbent cloth (or paper) for drying or wiping

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

understandingnounUS /ˌʌndərˈstændɪŋ/

the cognitive condition of someone who understands

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

wentverbUS /went/

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

From this reading At this she went to the door of her room and called out sharply “Mr. Lane!”

What's

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

From this reading “What’s the matter?” he asked.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

whitheradverbUS /ˈwɪðər/

an old word meaning “to where”

From this reading It was mid-morning when they reached the house, and Daniel advised Muriel to go at once to her room, whither Hussein presently brought refreshments and cans of water for the bath.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Daniel, who at the moment had just ducked his head in a pail of water, came into the refectory drying his hair with a towel.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

Chapter 28 of Burning Sands by Arthur E. P. Brome (Arthur Edward Pearse Brome) Weigall holds 177 sentences, grouped into 36 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 28 of Burning Sands contain?

Chapter 28 holds 177 sentences of Burning Sands, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of Burning Sands by Arthur E. P. Brome (Arthur Edward Pearse Brome) Weigall exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 177 sentences, grouped into 36 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 28 of Burning Sands?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #34978, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Chapter XXVIII · The Surprising Fortnight

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