Chapter 3 of Countess Vera is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Countess Vera is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be. The wild winds sigh eerily around the house. The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn. The sun refuses to shine. No more dreary and desolate day could be imagined.
Chapter 3 of Countess Vera is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 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.
unpleasantly cool and humid
From this reading “The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.”
plural of “dawn” — the first light of day
From this reading “To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.”
in an unnatural eery manner
From this reading “The wild winds sigh eerily around the house.”
(of weather) wet by periods of rain
From this reading “To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.”
plural of “refuse” — food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)
From this reading “The sun refuses to shine.”
very drunk
From this reading “The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.”
wet through and through; thoroughly wet
From this reading “The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.”
turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading “The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.”
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.
In this reading “The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.”
In this reading “The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.”
In this reading “To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.”
In this reading “The wild winds sigh eerily around the house.”
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 To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The wild winds sigh eerily around the house.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.
the season when the leaves fall from the trees
From this reading To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.
formed or made thin by hammering
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.
causing sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy
From this reading To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.
not characterized by emotion
From this reading To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading No more dreary and desolate day could be imagined.
unpleasantly cool and humid
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
plural of “dawn” — the first light of day
From this reading To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading No more dreary and desolate day could be imagined.
lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
From this reading No more dreary and desolate day could be imagined.
in an unnatural eery manner
From this reading The wild winds sigh eerily around the house.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The wild winds sigh eerily around the house.
past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading No more dreary and desolate day could be imagined.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
the common people generally
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading No more dreary and desolate day could be imagined.
not any; not one
From this reading No more dreary and desolate day could be imagined.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
and nothing more
From this reading To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.
(of weather) wet by periods of rain
From this reading To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.
plural of “refuse” — food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)
From this reading The sun refuses to shine.
be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading The sun refuses to shine.
heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading The wild winds sigh eerily around the house.
very drunk
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
wet through and through; thoroughly wet
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The sun refuses to shine.
turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The wild winds sigh eerily around the house.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The sun refuses to shine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading The autumn leaves are beaten from the trees and swirl through the air, falling in dank, sodden masses on the soaked grass of the lawn.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To-morrow, Vera's to-morrow--dawns, rainy, chilly, cheerless, as only a rainy autumn day can be.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading The wild winds sigh eerily around the house.
plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The wild winds sigh eerily around the house.
Chapter 3 of Countess Vera by Alex. McVeigh, Mrs. Miller holds 163 sentences, grouped into 33 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 3 holds 163 sentences of Countess Vera, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Countess Vera by Alex. McVeigh, Mrs. Miller exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 163 sentences, grouped into 33 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 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 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 3 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 Countess Vera by Alex. McVeigh, Mrs. Miller on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4963 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48824 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #48824, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 413 minutes of reading across 993 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Countess Vera section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Countess Vera 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 Countess Vera, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
