Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Damned
Damned

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of Damned is here in full — 251 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Damned
Context Illustration Reading 1/50 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Wrath had burned the bonds of John Cabot’s hard-learned constraint.
A fury of resentment over the subjection of Dolores controlled him.
Supernatural might to avenge and save her seemed to come to him.
Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.
“Positively, you annoy me,” commented Satan from the far end of the dais.
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.

Damned

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of Damned is here in full — 251 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Wrath had burned the bonds of John Cabot’s hard-learned constraint.
Line 2
A fury of resentment over the subjection of Dolores controlled him.
Line 3
Supernatural might to avenge and save her seemed to come to him.
/ˌsuːpərˈnætʃərəl maɪt tuː əˈvendʒ ənd seɪv hɜːr siːmd tuː kʌm tuː hɪm/
Line 4
Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.
Line 5
“Positively, you annoy me,” commented Satan from the far end of the dais.
/ˈpɑːzətɪvli juː əˈnɔɪ miː ˈkɑːmentəd ˈseɪtən frʌm ðə fɑːr end ʌv ðə deɪz/

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.

annoy verb US /əˈnɔɪ/

cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations

From this reading ““Positively, you annoy me,” commented Satan from the far end of the dais.”

avenge verb US /əˈvendʒ/

take revenge for a perceived wrong

From this reading “Supernatural might to avenge and save her seemed to come to him.”

boxer noun US /ˈbɑːksər/

someone who fights with his fists for sport

From this reading “Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.”

Cabot's noun US /ˈkæbəts/

possessive form of “cabot” — son of John Cabot who was born in Italy and who led an English expedition in search of the Northwest Passage and a Spanish expedition that explored the La Plata region of Brazil; in 1544 he published a map of the world (1476-1557)

constraint noun US /kənˈstreɪnt/

the state of being physically constrained

From this reading “Wrath had burned the bonds of John Cabot’s hard-learned constraint.”

dais noun US /deɪz/

a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it

From this reading ““Positively, you annoy me,” commented Satan from the far end of the dais.”

impetus noun US /ˈɪmpətəs/

a force that moves something along

From this reading “Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.”

squared adjective US /skwerd/

having been made square

From this reading “Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.”

All words in this reading · 61

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 A fury of resentment over the subjection of Dolores controlled him.

adversarynounUS /ˈædvərseri/

someone who offers opposition

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Supernatural might to avenge and save her seemed to come to him.

annoyverbUS /əˈnɔɪ/

cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations

From this reading “Positively, you annoy me,” commented Satan from the far end of the dais.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

avengeverbUS /əˈvendʒ/

take revenge for a perceived wrong

From this reading Supernatural might to avenge and save her seemed to come to him.

bondsnounUS /bɑːndz/

plural of “bond” — an electrical force linking atoms

From this reading Wrath had burned the bonds of John Cabot’s hard-learned constraint.

boxernounUS /ˈbɑːksər/

someone who fights with his fists for sport

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

burnedadjectiveUS /bɜːrnd/

treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point

From this reading Wrath had burned the bonds of John Cabot’s hard-learned constraint.

Cabot'snounUS /ˈkæbəts/

possessive form of “cabot” — son of John Cabot who was born in Italy and who led an English expedition in search of the Northwest Passage and a Spanish expedition that explored the La Plata region of Brazil; in 1544 he published a map of the world (1476-1557)

From this reading Wrath had burned the bonds of John Cabot’s hard-learned constraint.

circlenounUS /ˈsɜːrkəl/

ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Supernatural might to avenge and save her seemed to come to him.

commentedverbUS /ˈkɑːmentəd/

past form of “comment” — make or write a comment on

From this reading “Positively, you annoy me,” commented Satan from the far end of the dais.

constraintnounUS /kənˈstreɪnt/

the state of being physically constrained

From this reading Wrath had burned the bonds of John Cabot’s hard-learned constraint.

controlledadjectiveUS /kənˈtroʊld/

restrained or managed or kept within certain bounds

From this reading A fury of resentment over the subjection of Dolores controlled him.

daisnounUS /deɪz/

a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it

From this reading “Positively, you annoy me,” commented Satan from the far end of the dais.

Dolores

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

From this reading A fury of resentment over the subjection of Dolores controlled him.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading “Positively, you annoy me,” commented Satan from the far end of the dais.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading “Positively, you annoy me,” commented Satan from the far end of the dais.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading “Positively, you annoy me,” commented Satan from the far end of the dais.

furynounUS /ˈfjʊri/

a feeling of intense anger

From this reading A fury of resentment over the subjection of Dolores controlled him.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Wrath had burned the bonds of John Cabot’s hard-learned constraint.

hard-learned

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

From this reading Wrath had burned the bonds of John Cabot’s hard-learned constraint.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Supernatural might to avenge and save her seemed to come to him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading A fury of resentment over the subjection of Dolores controlled him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

impetusnounUS /ˈɪmpətəs/

a force that moves something along

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading Wrath had burned the bonds of John Cabot’s hard-learned constraint.

leapnounUS /liːp/

a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

materialadjectiveUS /məˈtɪriəl/

concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading “Positively, you annoy me,” commented Satan from the far end of the dais.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Supernatural might to avenge and save her seemed to come to him.

mortaladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrtəl/

subject to death

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

neatlyadverbUS /ˈniːtli/

with neatness

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Wrath had burned the bonds of John Cabot’s hard-learned constraint.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading A fury of resentment over the subjection of Dolores controlled him.

PositivelyadverbUS /ˈpɑːzətɪvli/

extremely

From this reading “Positively, you annoy me,” commented Satan from the far end of the dais.

resentmentnounUS /rɪˈzentmənt/

a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will

From this reading A fury of resentment over the subjection of Dolores controlled him.

SatannounUS /ˈseɪtən/

(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell

From this reading “Positively, you annoy me,” commented Satan from the far end of the dais.

saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading Supernatural might to avenge and save her seemed to come to him.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Supernatural might to avenge and save her seemed to come to him.

side-stepped

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

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

squaredadjectiveUS /skwerd/

having been made square

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

strongadjectiveUS /strɔːŋ/

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

subjectionnoun

forced submission to control by others

From this reading A fury of resentment over the subjection of Dolores controlled him.

suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

SupernaturalnounUS /ˌsuːpərˈnætʃərəl/

supernatural forces and events and beings collectively

From this reading Supernatural might to avenge and save her seemed to come to him.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Wrath had burned the bonds of John Cabot’s hard-learned constraint.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Supernatural might to avenge and save her seemed to come to him.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

WrathnounUS /ræθ/

intense anger (usually on an epic scale)

From this reading Wrath had burned the bonds of John Cabot’s hard-learned constraint.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet sudden as was his leap, strong its impetus, that which was material of his adversary had side-stepped neatly as though he were some mortal boxer in a squared circle.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Positively, you annoy me,” commented Satan from the far end of the dais.

Chapter 27 of Damned by E. S. (Ethel Smith) Dorrance holds 251 sentences, grouped into 51 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 27 of Damned contain?

Chapter 27 holds 251 sentences of Damned, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 27 of Damned by E. S. (Ethel Smith) Dorrance exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 251 sentences, grouped into 51 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 27 of Damned?

Work through the 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 51 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 27 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 27 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 Damned

Common questions about reading Damned by E. S. (Ethel Smith) Dorrance on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Damned?

Yes. All 8243 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #66264 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Damned is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #66264, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Damned take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1649 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Damned section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of Damned 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 Damned

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

Apprehension
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Damned; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pervaded
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Damned; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Throne
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Damned; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Imperfect
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Damned; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.