Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France
Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Burton Egbert Stevenson • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.
What it was that had disturbed me I could not guess.
I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.
A second followed.
Some one was mounting cautiously.
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.

Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.
/aɪ faɪnd maɪ pɑːrt ə ˈdɪfəkəlt wʌn aɪ əˈwoʊk wɪð ə stɑːrt ənd lʊkt əˈbaʊt miː bʌt kʊd dɪˈsɜːrn ˈnʌθɪŋ fɔːr ðə ˈdɑːrknəs wɑːz ˈæbsəluːt ˌɪmˈpenətrəbəl/
Line 2
What it was that had disturbed me I could not guess.
/wʌt ɪt wɑːz ðæt hæd dɪˈstɜːrbd miː aɪ kʊd nɑːt ɡes/
Line 3
I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.
/aɪ wɑːz əˈbaʊt tuː tel ˌmaɪˈself aɪ hæd bɪn ˈdriːmɪŋ wen aɪ hɜːrd ə ˈstelθi ˈfʊtstep ɑːn ðə ster/
Line 4
A second followed.
/ə ˈsekənd ˈfɑːloʊd/
Line 5
Some one was mounting cautiously.
/sʌm wʌn wɑːz ˈmaʊntɪŋ ˈkɔːʃəsli/

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.

cautiously adverb US /ˈkɔːʃəsli/

as if with kid gloves; with caution or prudence or tact

From this reading “Some one was mounting cautiously.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discern verb US /dɪˈsɜːrn/

detect with the senses

From this reading “I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dreaming noun US /ˈdriːmɪŋ/

imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake

From this reading “I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
footstep noun US /ˈfʊtstep/

the sound of a step of someone walking

From this reading “I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
impenetrable adjective US /ˌɪmˈpenətrəbəl/

not admitting of penetration or passage into or through

From this reading “I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mounting noun US /ˈmaʊntɪŋ/

an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)

From this reading “Some one was mounting cautiously.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stair noun US /ster/

support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or descending a stairway

From this reading “I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stealthy adjective US /ˈstelθi/

marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed

From this reading “I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

stealthy footstep adjective + noun

In this reading “I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.”

264 times in 426,212 chapters
on the stair preposition + article + noun counted as “on … stair”

In this reading “I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.”

877 times in 426,212 chapters
looked about verb + particle counted as “look about”

In this reading “I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.”

18,809 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 47

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 FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
absoluteadjectiveUS /ˈæbsəluːt/

perfect or complete or pure

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AWOKEverbUS /əˈwoʊk/

inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cautiouslyadverbUS /ˈkɔːʃəsli/

as if with kid gloves; with caution or prudence or tact

From this reading Some one was mounting cautiously.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
darknessnounUS /ˈdɑːrknəs/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DIFFICULTadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfəkəlt/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discernverbUS /dɪˈsɜːrn/

detect with the senses

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
disturbedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɜːrbd/

having the place or position changed

From this reading What it was that had disturbed me I could not guess.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dreamingnounUS /ˈdriːmɪŋ/

imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake

From this reading I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FINDverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading A second followed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
footstepnounUS /ˈfʊtstep/

the sound of a step of someone walking

From this reading I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
guessverbUS /ɡes/

expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading What it was that had disturbed me I could not guess.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading What it was that had disturbed me I could not guess.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
impenetrableadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpenətrəbəl/

not admitting of penetration or passage into or through

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading What it was that had disturbed me I could not guess.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mountingnounUS /ˈmaʊntɪŋ/

an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)

From this reading Some one was mounting cautiously.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading What it was that had disturbed me I could not guess.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ONEpronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PARTnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading A second followed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SomeadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Some one was mounting cautiously.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stairnounUS /ster/

support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or descending a stairway

From this reading I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
startverbUS /stɑːrt/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stealthyadjectiveUS /ˈstelθi/

marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed

From this reading I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading What it was that had disturbed me I could not guess.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What it was that had disturbed me I could not guess.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading I was about to tell myself I had been dreaming, when I heard a stealthy footstep on the stair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I FIND MY PART A DIFFICULT ONE I AWOKE with a start and looked about me, but could discern nothing, for the darkness was absolute, impenetrable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 21 of Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France by Burton Egbert Stevenson holds 148 sentences, grouped into 30 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 21 of Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France contain?

Chapter 21 holds 148 sentences of Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France by Burton Egbert Stevenson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 148 sentences, grouped into 30 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 21 of Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France

Common questions about reading Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France by Burton Egbert Stevenson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France?

Yes. All 4969 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #69104 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #69104, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France take to read?

About 414 minutes of reading across 994 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France section by section

How to work through Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 34 chapters of Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France 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 Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France

Words and structures a reader meets early in Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Corner
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gogard
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Perhaps
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Cadets of Gascony: Two stories of old France; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.