Chapter 15 of Captivity is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of Captivity is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
It was a bare room, up three flights of stairs. Marcella watched while the men carried him in and laid him on the bed. Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it. Then she looked round. There were three candles burning.
Chapter 15 of Captivity is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
completely unclothed
From this reading “It was a bare room, up three flights of stairs.”
plural of “candle” — stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading “There were three candles burning.”
plural of “flight” — a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading “It was a bare room, up three flights of stairs.”
light informal conversation for social occasions
From this reading “Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.”
(often followed by “to”) having a preference, disposition, or tendency
From this reading “Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.”
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading “Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.”
-ing form of “thank” — express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading “Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.”
plural of “whisper” — speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading “Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a bare room, up three flights of stairs.
later than; following
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Marcella watched while the men carried him in and laid him on the bed.
completely unclothed
From this reading It was a bare room, up three flights of stairs.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading Marcella watched while the men carried him in and laid him on the bed.
the act of burning something
From this reading There were three candles burning.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
plural of “candle” — stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading There were three candles burning.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Marcella watched while the men carried him in and laid him on the bed.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
plural of “flight” — a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading It was a bare room, up three flights of stairs.
light informal conversation for social occasions
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Marcella watched while the men carried him in and laid him on the bed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Marcella watched while the men carried him in and laid him on the bed.
(often followed by “to”) having a preference, disposition, or tendency
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a bare room, up three flights of stairs.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
set down according to a plan
From this reading Marcella watched while the men carried him in and laid him on the bed.
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Then she looked round.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Marcella watched while the men carried him in and laid him on the bed.
the force of workers available
From this reading Marcella watched while the men carried him in and laid him on the bed.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was a bare room, up three flights of stairs.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Marcella watched while the men carried him in and laid him on the bed.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading It was a bare room, up three flights of stairs.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Then she looked round.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then she looked round.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading It was a bare room, up three flights of stairs.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
-ing form of “thank” — express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Marcella watched while the men carried him in and laid him on the bed.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then she looked round.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were three candles burning.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading It was a bare room, up three flights of stairs.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading It was a bare room, up three flights of stairs.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a bare room, up three flights of stairs.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading Marcella watched while the men carried him in and laid him on the bed.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were three candles burning.
during the time that
From this reading Marcella watched while the men carried him in and laid him on the bed.
plural of “whisper” — speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Mrs. King seemed inclined to stay and gossip in whispers, but, after thanking her, and saying they would talk to-morrow, Marcella shut the door and locked it.
Chapter 15 of Captivity by Leonora Eyles holds 213 sentences, grouped into 43 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.
Chapter 15 holds 213 sentences of Captivity, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of Captivity by Leonora Eyles exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 213 sentences, grouped into 43 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.
Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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.
Common questions about reading Captivity by Leonora Eyles on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9604 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15527 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #15527, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1921 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Captivity section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 31 chapters of Captivity to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Captivity, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
