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

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Laid Up in Lavender is here in full — 504 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Laid Up in Lavender
Context Illustration Reading 1/100 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.
The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.
_July_, 1907.
"Horry!
I am sick to death of it!"
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.

Laid Up in Lavender

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Laid Up in Lavender is here in full — 504 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/100 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.
Line 2
The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.
Line 3
_July_, 1907.
Line 4
"Horry!
Line 5
I am sick to death of it!"
/aɪ æm sɪk tuː deθ ʌv 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.

desires noun US /dɪˈzaɪərz/

plural of “desire” — the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading “The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.”

Elder noun US /ˈeldər/

a person who is older than you are

From this reading “The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.”

enterprise noun US /ˈentərpraɪz/

a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)

From this reading “The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.”

fostering noun US /ˈfɑːstərɪŋ/

encouragement; aiding the development of something

From this reading “The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.”

inn noun US /ɪn/

a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.”

July noun US /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/

the month following June and preceding August

record noun US /rəˈkɔːrd/

anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events

From this reading “The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.”

robe noun US /roʊb/

any loose flowing garment

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.”

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.

RED ROBE noun + noun

In this reading “AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.”

came into verb + particle counted as “come into”

obtain, especially accidentally

In this reading “The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.”

All words in this reading · 54

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.

1907

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

From this reading _July_, 1907.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I am sick to death of it!"

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

Carr

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

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

CASTLEnounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.

ConounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

Comyns

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

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading I am sick to death of it!"

desiresnounUS /dɪˈzaɪərz/

plural of “desire” — the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

EldernounUS /ˈeldər/

a person who is older than you are

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

enterprisenounUS /ˈentərpraɪz/

a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

ETC

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.

existencenounUS /eɡˈzɪstəns/

the state or fact of existing

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

fosteringnounUS /ˈfɑːstərɪŋ/

encouragement; aiding the development of something

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

FRANCEnounUS /fræns/

a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.

GENTLEMANnounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.

gratitudenounUS /ˈɡrætətuːd/

a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

Horry

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

From this reading "Horry!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I am sick to death of it!"

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

INNnounUS /ɪn/

a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers

From this reading AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I am sick to death of it!"

JamesnounUS /dʒeɪmz/

a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

JulynounUS /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/

the month following June and preceding August

From this reading _July_, 1907.

lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

Macmillan

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

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

Messrs

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

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.

OP

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.

openingnounUS /ˈoʊpənɪŋ/

an open or empty space in or between things

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

Payn

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

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

recordnounUS /rəˈkɔːrd/

anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

REDnounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.

ROBEnounUS /roʊb/

any loose flowing garment

From this reading AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.

sickadjectiveUS /sɪk/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading I am sick to death of it!"

SmithnounUS /smɪθ/

Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

storiesnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

UNDERprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading AUTHOR OF "A GENTLEMAN OP FRANCE," "THE CASTLE INN," "UNDER THE RED ROBE," ETC.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading The Author desires to record his gratitude to the late Mr. James Payn and to Mr. Comyns Carr, under whose fostering care these stories came into existence; and to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., and to Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co., whose enterprise found for them a first opening in life.

Chapter 1 of Laid Up in Lavender by Stanley John Weyman holds 504 sentences, grouped into 101 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 1 of Laid Up in Lavender contain?

Chapter 1 holds 504 sentences of Laid Up in Lavender, unabridged, divided into 101 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Laid Up in Lavender by Stanley John Weyman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 504 sentences, grouped into 101 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 1 of Laid Up in Lavender?

Work through the 101 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 101 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Laid Up in Lavender

Common questions about reading Laid Up in Lavender by Stanley John Weyman on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Laid Up in Lavender?

Yes. All 6062 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38989 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Laid Up in Lavender is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #38989, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Laid Up in Lavender take to read?

About 505 minutes of reading across 1213 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Laid Up in Lavender section by section

How to work through Laid Up in Lavender section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of Laid Up in Lavender 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 Laid Up in Lavender

Words and structures a reader meets early in Laid Up in Lavender, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Laid Up in Lavender; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gentleman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Laid Up in Lavender; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
France
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Laid Up in Lavender; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Castle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Laid Up in Lavender; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.