Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Catriona
Catriona

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of Catriona is here in full — 372 sentences across 75 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Catriona
Context Illustration Reading 1/74 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE LETTER FROM THE SHIP Daylight showed us how solitary the inn stood.
It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.
There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.
It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.
Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.
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.

Catriona

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of Catriona is here in full — 372 sentences across 75 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/74 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE LETTER FROM THE SHIP Daylight showed us how solitary the inn stood.
Line 2
It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.
Line 3
There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.
Line 4
It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.
Line 5
Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

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.

Stood verb US /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading “THE LETTER FROM THE SHIP Daylight showed us how solitary the inn stood.”

All words in this reading · 88

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.

a

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

after

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

all

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

among

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

an

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

and

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

any

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

ass

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

ass's

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

at

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

Bazin's

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

behind

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

bents

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

beset

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

brae

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

but

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

by

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

calm

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

came

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

Daylight

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

From this reading THE LETTER FROM THE SHIP Daylight showed us how solitary the inn stood.

dead

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

directions

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

door

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

each

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

ears

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

every

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

first

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

following

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

footways

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

for

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

FROM

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

From this reading THE LETTER FROM THE SHIP Daylight showed us how solitary the inn stood.

great

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

hard

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

hidden

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

hillock

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

hills

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

how

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

From this reading THE LETTER FROM THE SHIP Daylight showed us how solitary the inn stood.

in

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

indeed

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

inn

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

From this reading THE LETTER FROM THE SHIP Daylight showed us how solitary the inn stood.

It

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

LETTER

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

From this reading THE LETTER FROM THE SHIP Daylight showed us how solitary the inn stood.

like

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

Mr

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

nature

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

number

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

of

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

on

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

one

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

only

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

other

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

out

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

over

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

plainly

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

prospect

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

quite

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

road

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

rose

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

sails

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

sand

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

scabbit

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

Scarce

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

sea

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

see

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

SHIP

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

From this reading THE LETTER FROM THE SHIP Daylight showed us how solitary the inn stood.

showed

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

From this reading THE LETTER FROM THE SHIP Daylight showed us how solitary the inn stood.

side

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

solitary

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

From this reading THE LETTER FROM THE SHIP Daylight showed us how solitary the inn stood.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading THE LETTER FROM THE SHIP Daylight showed us how solitary the inn stood.

strange

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

THE

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

From this reading THE LETTER FROM THE SHIP Daylight showed us how solitary the inn stood.

There

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

these

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

thing

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

to

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

travelled

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

turning

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

two

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

up

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

From this reading Scarce any road came by there; but a number of footways travelled among the bents in all directions up to Mr. Bazin’s door.

upon

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

us

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

From this reading THE LETTER FROM THE SHIP Daylight showed us how solitary the inn stood.

view

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

was

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

where

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

wind

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

From this reading It was strange (after the wind rose, for at first it was dead calm) to see the turning and following of each other of these great sails behind the hillock.

windmill

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

From this reading There was, indeed, only one thing in the nature of a prospect, where there stood out over a brae the two sails of a windmill, like an ass’s ears, but with the ass quite hidden.

with

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

yet

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

From this reading It was plainly hard upon the sea, yet out of all view of it, and beset on every side with scabbit hills of sand.

Chapter 31 of Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson holds 372 sentences, grouped into 75 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 31 of Catriona contain?

Chapter 31 holds 372 sentences of Catriona, unabridged, divided into 75 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 31 of Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 372 sentences, grouped into 75 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 31 of Catriona?

Work through the 75 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 75 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 31 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 31 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 Catriona

Common questions about reading Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Catriona?

Yes. All 5183 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #589 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Catriona is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #589, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Catriona take to read?

About 431 minutes of reading across 1037 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Catriona section by section

How to work through Catriona section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 31 chapters of Catriona 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 Catriona

Words and structures a reader meets early in Catriona, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Charles
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Catriona; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Baxter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Catriona; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Writer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Catriona; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Signet
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Catriona; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.