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By Order of the Company
By Order of the Company

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of By Order of the Company is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.
"Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.
I dressed and left the house, disturbing no one.
Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.
About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.
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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.

By Order of the Company

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of By Order of the Company is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.
Line 2
"Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.
/ˈkæptən ˈpɜːrsi ɪt kraɪd ðə ˈɡʌvərnər ˈwɪʃɪz juː æt hɪz haʊs ənd wɑːz ɡɔːn/
Line 3
I dressed and left the house, disturbing no one.
/aɪ drest ənd left ðə haʊs dɪˈstɜːrbɪŋ noʊ wʌn/
Line 4
Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.
Line 5
About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.
/əˈbaʊt ðə ˈɡʌvərnərz dɔːr wɜːr ˈhɔːrsəz ˈsædəld ənd ˈbraɪdəld wɪð ɡruːmz æt ðer hedz men ənd biːsts ɡreɪ ənd ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋkt ræpt ɪn ðə fɑːɡ/

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.

bridled verb US /ˈbraɪdəld/

past form of “bridle” — anger or take offense

From this reading “About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.”

daybreak noun US /ˈdeɪbreɪk/

the first light of day

From this reading “In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.”

disturbing adjective US /dɪˈstɜːrbɪŋ/

causing distress or worry or anxiety

From this reading “I dressed and left the house, disturbing no one.”

Governor's noun US /ˈɡʌvərnərz/

possessive form of “governor” — the head of a state government

From this reading “About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.”

grooms noun US /ɡruːmz/

plural of “groom” — a man participant in his own marriage ceremony

From this reading “About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.”

indistinct adjective US /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋkt/

not clearly defined or easy to perceive or understand

From this reading “About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.”

Percy noun US /ˈpɜːrsi/

United States writer whose novels explored human alienation (1916-1990)

From this reading “"Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.”

saddled adjective US /ˈsædəld/

having a saddle on or being mounted on a saddled animal

From this reading “About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.”

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.

before daybreak preposition + noun

In this reading “In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.”

in the fog preposition + article + noun counted as “in … fog”

In this reading “About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.

beastsnounUS /biːsts/

plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

bridledverbUS /ˈbraɪdəld/

past form of “bridle” — anger or take offense

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

CaptainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading "Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.

chillnounUS /tʃɪl/

coldness due to a cold environment

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading "Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.

dawnnounUS /dɔːn/

the first light of day

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

daybreaknounUS /ˈdeɪbreɪk/

the first light of day

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

disturbingadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɜːrbɪŋ/

causing distress or worry or anxiety

From this reading I dressed and left the house, disturbing no one.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

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

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

dressedadjectiveUS /drest/

dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination

From this reading I dressed and left the house, disturbing no one.

fognounUS /fɑːɡ/

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

footstepsnounUS /ˈfʊtsteps/

plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading "Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.

GovernornounUS /ˈɡʌvərnər/

the head of a state government

From this reading "Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.

Governor'snounUS /ˈɡʌvərnərz/

possessive form of “governor” — the head of a state government

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

graynounUS /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

groomsnounUS /ɡruːmz/

plural of “groom” — a man participant in his own marriage ceremony

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

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

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.

horsesnounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/

plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading "Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.

HurryingadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːriɪŋ/

moving with great haste

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

indistinctadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋkt/

not clearly defined or easy to perceive or understand

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading I dressed and left the house, disturbing no one.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading I dressed and left the house, disturbing no one.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I dressed and left the house, disturbing no one.

PercynounUS /ˈpɜːrsi/

United States writer whose novels explored human alienation (1916-1990)

From this reading "Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.

rapidadjectiveUS /ˈræpəd/

done or occurring in a brief period of time

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

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

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

ReceiveverbUS /rəˈsiːv/

get something; come into possession of

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

ReposeverbUS /riˈpoʊz/

put or confide something in a person or thing

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

saddledadjectiveUS /ˈsædəld/

having a saddle on or being mounted on a saddled animal

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

ShortlyadverbUS /ˈʃɔːrtli/

for a short time

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

squareverbUS /skwer/

make square

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

TrustnounUS /trʌst/

something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

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

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

wakened

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

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

WarningnounUS /ˈwɔːrnɪŋ/

a message informing of danger

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading In which I Receive a Warning and Repose a Trust Shortly before daybreak I was wakened by a voice beneath my window.

wishesnounUS /ˈwɪʃɪz/

plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire

From this reading "Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

wrappedadjectiveUS /ræpt/

covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak

From this reading About the Governor's door were horses, saddled and bridled, with grooms at their heads, men and beasts gray and indistinct, wrapped in the fog.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Captain Percy," it cried, "the Governor wishes you at his house!" and was gone.

Chapter 12 of By Order of the Company by Mary Johnston holds 140 sentences, grouped into 28 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 12 of By Order of the Company contain?

Chapter 12 holds 140 sentences of By Order of the Company, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of By Order of the Company by Mary Johnston exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 140 sentences, grouped into 28 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 12 of By Order of the Company?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 By Order of the Company

Common questions about reading By Order of the Company by Mary Johnston on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of By Order of the Company?

Yes. All 6794 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45721 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of By Order of the Company is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #45721, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does By Order of the Company take to read?

About 566 minutes of reading across 1359 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read By Order of the Company section by section

How to work through By Order of the Company section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of By Order of the Company 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 By Order of the Company

Words and structures a reader meets early in By Order of the Company, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Recommended
A word that appears in the opening chapter of By Order of the Company; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Guardian
A word that appears in the opening chapter of By Order of the Company; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stirring
A word that appears in the opening chapter of By Order of the Company; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Adventure
A word that appears in the opening chapter of By Order of the Company; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.