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In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3
In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3 is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3
Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LEWIS PYNEWECK.
In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.
The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.
He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.
They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3 is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LEWIS PYNEWECK.
Line 2
In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.
/ɪn ðə ˈmiːntaɪm ðə ˈfʊtmən dɪˈspætʃt ɪn pərˈsuːt ʌv ˈmɪstər ˈpiːtərz ˈspiːdəli ˌoʊvərˈtʊk ðæt ˈfiːbəl ˈdʒentəlmən/
Line 3
The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.
/ðə oʊld mæn stɑːpt wen hiː hɜːrd ðə saʊnd ʌv pərˈsuːɪŋ steps bʌt ˈeni əˈlɑːrmz ðæt meɪ hæv krɔːst hɪz maɪnd siːmd tuː ˌdɪsəˈpɪr ɑːn hɪz ˈrekəɡnaɪzɪŋ ðə ˈlɪvəri/
Line 4
He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.
Line 5
They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.
/ðeɪ hæd nɑːt ɡɔːn fɑːr ˌhaʊˈevər wen ðə oʊld mæn stɑːpt ˈsʌdənli ˈseɪɪŋ dɪr miː æz aɪ laɪv aɪ hæv drɑːpt ɪt/

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.

alarms noun US /əˈlɑːrmz/

plural of “alarm” — fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading “The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.”

dispatched verb US /dɪˈspætʃt/

past form of “dispatch” — send away towards a designated goal

From this reading “In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.”

footman noun US /ˈfʊtmən/

a man employed as a servant in a large establishment (as a palace) to run errands and do chores

From this reading “In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.”

gratefully adverb US /ˈɡreɪtfəli/

with appreciation; in a grateful manner

From this reading “He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.”

livery noun US /ˈlɪvəri/

uniform worn by some menservants and chauffeurs

From this reading “The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.”

overtook verb US /ˌoʊvərˈtʊk/

inflected form of “overtake” — catch up with and possibly overtake

From this reading “In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.”

Peters noun US /ˈpiːtərz/

plural of “peter” — disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope

From this reading “In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.”

recognising verb US /ˈrekəɡnaɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “recognise” — show approval or appreciation of

From this reading “The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.”

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.

gratefully accepted adverb + adjective

In this reading “He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.”

old man adjective + noun

a man who is very old

In this reading “The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.”

In the meantime preposition + article + noun counted as “in … meantime”

during the intervening time

In this reading “In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.”

in pursuit preposition + noun

In this reading “In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.”

for support preposition + noun

In this reading “He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.”

All words in this reading · 67

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.

acceptedadjectiveUS /ækˈseptɪd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.

alarmsnounUS /əˈlɑːrmz/

plural of “alarm” — fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

armnounUS /ɑːrm/

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

assistancenounUS /əˈsɪstəns/

the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

From this reading He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

crossedadjectiveUS /krɔːst/

placed crosswise

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

DearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

disappearverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪr/

get lost, as without warning or explanation

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

dispatchedverbUS /dɪˈspætʃt/

past form of “dispatch” — send away towards a designated goal

From this reading In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.

droppedverbUS /drɑːpt/

inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

feebleadjectiveUS /ˈfiːbəl/

pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness

From this reading In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.

footmannounUS /ˈfʊtmən/

a man employed as a servant in a large establishment (as a palace) to run errands and do chores

From this reading In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.

gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

gratefullyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪtfəli/

with appreciation; in a grateful manner

From this reading He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

LEWISnounUS /ˈluːɪs/

United States rock star singer and pianist (born in 1935)

From this reading LEWIS PYNEWECK.

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

liverynounUS /ˈlɪvəri/

uniform worn by some menservants and chauffeurs

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

meantimenounUS /ˈmiːntaɪm/

the time between one event, process, or period and another

From this reading In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

overtookverbUS /ˌoʊvərˈtʊk/

inflected form of “overtake” — catch up with and possibly overtake

From this reading In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.

PetersnounUS /ˈpiːtərz/

plural of “peter” — disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope

From this reading In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.

placedadjectiveUS /pleɪst/

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.

proferred

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

From this reading He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.

pursuingadjectiveUS /pərˈsuːɪŋ/

following in order to overtake or capture or as accompaniment to such pursuit

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

pursuitnounUS /pərˈsuːt/

the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture

From this reading In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.

PYNEWECK

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

From this reading LEWIS PYNEWECK.

recognisingverbUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “recognise” — show approval or appreciation of

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

sayingnounUS /ˈseɪɪŋ/

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

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

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

servant's

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

From this reading He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

speedilyadverbUS /ˈspiːdəli/

with speed

From this reading In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.

stepsnounUS /steps/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

stoppedadjectiveUS /stɑːpt/

(of a nose) blocked

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

supportnounUS /səˈpɔːrt/

the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities

From this reading He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In the meantime, the footman dispatched in pursuit of Mr. Peters speedily overtook that feeble gentleman.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They had not gone far, however, when the old man stopped suddenly, saying, “Dear me! as I live, I have dropped it.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

tremulousadjectiveUS /ˈtremjələs/

(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear

From this reading He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The old man stopped when he heard the sound of pursuing steps, but any alarms that may have crossed his mind seemed to disappear on his recognising the livery.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading He very gratefully accepted the proferred assistance, and placed his tremulous arm within the servant’s for support.

Chapter 23 of In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3 by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu holds 65 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 23 of In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3 contain?

Chapter 23 holds 65 sentences of In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3 by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 65 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 23 of In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3?

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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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.

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Common questions about reading In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3 by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 1820 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37172 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #37172, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3 take to read?

About 151 minutes of reading across 364 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3

Words and structures a reader meets early in In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Glass
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Darkly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Uncle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In a Glass Darkly, V. 1/3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.