Chapter 20 of In a Glass Darkly, V. 2/3 is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of In a Glass Darkly, V. 2/3 is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE KEY. I stood now upon the steps, watching and listening. In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle. I advanced eagerly. It was the Countess.
Chapter 20 of In a Glass Darkly, V. 2/3 is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 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.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading “In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.”
female equivalent of a count or earl
From this reading “It was the Countess.”
make a crackling sound
From this reading “In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.”
the cloak as a symbol of authority
From this reading “In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.”
plural of “stick” — an implement consisting of a length of wood
From this reading “In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.”
inflected form of “tread” — put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading “In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.”
lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
From this reading “In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.”
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading “In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.”
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 “In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.”
In this reading “In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.”
In this reading “In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.”
In this reading “In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.”
In this reading “In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.”
In this reading “In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.”
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 In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
farther along in physical or mental development
From this reading I advanced eagerly.
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I stood now upon the steps, watching and listening.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
female equivalent of a count or earl
From this reading It was the Countess.
make a crackling sound
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading I advanced eagerly.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I stood now upon the steps, watching and listening.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the Countess.
metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
From this reading THE KEY.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading I stood now upon the steps, watching and listening.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
the cloak as a symbol of authority
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading I stood now upon the steps, watching and listening.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
cut with a saw
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading I stood now upon the steps, watching and listening.
plural of “stick” — an implement consisting of a length of wood
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading I stood now upon the steps, watching and listening.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE KEY.
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 In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
inflected form of “tread” — put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading I stood now upon the steps, watching and listening.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the Countess.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading I stood now upon the steps, watching and listening.
lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak
From this reading In a minute or two I heard the crackle of withered sticks trod upon, and, looking in the direction, I saw a figure approaching among the trees, wrapped in a mantle.
Chapter 20 of In a Glass Darkly, V. 2/3 by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu holds 105 sentences, grouped into 21 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 20 holds 105 sentences of In a Glass Darkly, V. 2/3, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of In a Glass Darkly, V. 2/3 by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 105 sentences, grouped into 21 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 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 21 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 20 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 In a Glass Darkly, V. 2/3 by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2275 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37173 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #37173, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 189 minutes of reading across 455 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through In a Glass Darkly, V. 2/3 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of In a Glass Darkly, V. 2/3 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 In a Glass Darkly, V. 2/3, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
