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Excuse Me!
Excuse Me!

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Excuse Me! is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Rupert Hughes • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Excuse Me!
Context Illustration Reading 1/12 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.
Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:
"Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."
Mallory pushed up his window shade.
The day was broad on rolling prairies like billows established in the green soil.
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.

Excuse Me!

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Excuse Me! is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.
Line 2
Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:
Line 3
"Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."
Line 4
Mallory pushed up his window shade.
Line 5
The day was broad on rolling prairies like billows established in the green soil.
/ðə deɪ wɑːz brɔːd ɑːn ˈroʊlɪŋ ˈpreɪriz laɪk ˈbɪloʊz ɪˈstæblɪʃt ɪn ðə ɡriːn sɔɪl/

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.

awoke verb US /əˈwoʊk/

inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping

From this reading “LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
billows noun US /ˈbɪloʊz/

plural of “billow” — a large sea wave

From this reading “The day was broad on rolling prairies like billows established in the green soil.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
faintly adverb US /ˈfeɪntli/

to a faint degree or weakly perceived

From this reading “"Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intruded verb US /ˌɪnˈtruːdəd/

past form of “intrude” — enter uninvited

From this reading “Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Iowa noun US /ˈaɪəwə/

a member of the Siouan people formerly living in Iowa and Minnesota and Missouri

From this reading “LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Lass noun US /læs/

a girl or young woman who is unmarried

From this reading “"Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
louder adjective US /ˈlaʊdər/

comparative of “loud” — characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity

From this reading “"Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
prairies noun US /ˈpreɪriz/

plural of “prairie” — a treeless grassy plain

From this reading “The day was broad on rolling prairies like billows established in the green soil.”

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.

rolling prairies adjective + noun counted as “rolling prairie”

In this reading “The day was broad on rolling prairies like billows established in the green soil.”

200 times in 426,211 chapters
heavy sleep adjective + noun

In this reading “Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:”

703 times in 426,211 chapters
last moments adjective + noun counted as “last moment”

In this reading “Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:”

7,372 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 51

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 Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
awokeverbUS /əˈwoʊk/

inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping

From this reading LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
billowsnounUS /ˈbɪloʊz/

plural of “billow” — a large sea wave

From this reading The day was broad on rolling prairies like billows established in the green soil.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BREAKFASTverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breakfuss

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

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

Pending verification
broadadjectiveUS /brɔːd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading The day was broad on rolling prairies like billows established in the green soil.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CALLverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cryingadjectiveUS /ˈkraɪɪŋ/

demanding attention

From this reading Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The day was broad on rolling prairies like billows established in the green soil.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
establishedadjectiveUS /ɪˈstæblɪʃt/

brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established

From this reading The day was broad on rolling prairies like billows established in the green soil.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
faintlyadverbUS /ˈfeɪntli/

to a faint degree or weakly perceived

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
finallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading The day was broad on rolling prairies like billows established in the green soil.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IntoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
intrudedverbUS /ˌɪnˈtruːdəd/

past form of “intrude” — enter uninvited

From this reading Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IowanounUS /ˈaɪəwə/

a member of the Siouan people formerly living in Iowa and Minnesota and Missouri

From this reading LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
LassnounUS /læs/

a girl or young woman who is unmarried

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Lasscall

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

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

Pending verification
LASTadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
louderadjectiveUS /ˈlaʊdər/

comparative of “loud” — characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mallory

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

From this reading LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.

Pending verification
momentsnounUS /ˈmoʊmənts/

plural of “moment” — a particular point in time

From this reading Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The day was broad on rolling prairies like billows established in the green soil.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
prairiesnounUS /ˈpreɪriz/

plural of “prairie” — a treeless grassy plain

From this reading The day was broad on rolling prairies like billows established in the green soil.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pushedverbUS /pʊʃt/

past form of “push” — move with force

From this reading Mallory pushed up his window shade.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Rar

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

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

Pending verification
ri'rar

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

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

Pending verification
Rinin-rar

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

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

Pending verification
Rining

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

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

Pending verification
rollingadjectiveUS /ˈroʊlɪŋ/

uttered with a trill

From this reading The day was broad on rolling prairies like billows established in the green soil.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shadenounUS /ʃeɪd/

relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body

From this reading Mallory pushed up his window shade.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sleepnounUS /sliːp/

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soilnounUS /sɔɪl/

the state of being covered with unclean things

From this reading The day was broad on rolling prairies like billows established in the green soil.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading "Lass call for breakfuss in the Rining Rar," and then, again louder, "Lass call for breakfuss in Rinin-rar," and, finally and faintly, "Lasscall breakfuss ri'rar."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
town-crier's

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

From this reading Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:

Pending verification
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Mallory pushed up his window shade.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading Into his last moments of heavy sleep intruded a voice like a town-crier's voice, crying:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST It was still Iowa when Mallory awoke.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading Mallory pushed up his window shade.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 16 of Excuse Me! by Rupert Hughes holds 64 sentences, grouped into 13 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 16 of Excuse Me! contain?

Chapter 16 holds 64 sentences of Excuse Me!, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Excuse Me! by Rupert Hughes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 64 sentences, grouped into 13 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 16 of Excuse Me!?

Work through the 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 13 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Excuse Me!

Common questions about reading Excuse Me! by Rupert Hughes on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Excuse Me!?

Yes. All 4574 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40607 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Excuse Me! is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40607, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Excuse Me! take to read?

About 381 minutes of reading across 915 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Excuse Me! section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of Excuse Me! 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 Excuse Me!

Words and structures a reader meets early in Excuse Me!, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Wreck
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Excuse Me!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Taxicab
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Excuse Me!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Young
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Excuse Me!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Woman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Excuse Me!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.