Chapter 12 of Midwinter: Certain Travellers in Old England is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Midwinter: Certain Travellers in Old England is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman. Has he forgotten the case of the laird of Champertoun?" Kyd started violently. "Or the goodman of Heriotside?" The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
Chapter 12 of Midwinter: Certain Travellers in Old England is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course
From this reading “The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.”
United States clarinetist who in 1934 formed a big band (including black as well as white musicians) and introduced a kind of jazz known as swing (1909-1986)
From this reading “"Or the goodman of Heriotside?"”
the native habitat or home of an animal or plant
From this reading “"I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.”
someone who listens attentively
From this reading “The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.”
English dramatist (1558-1594)
From this reading “Kyd started violently.”
a landowner
From this reading “Has he forgotten the case of the laird of Champertoun?"”
affording physical relief
From this reading “The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.”
in a violent manner
From this reading “Kyd started violently.”
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 “Kyd started violently.”
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 "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
anew
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
an occurrence of something
From this reading Has he forgotten the case of the laird of Champertoun?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Has he forgotten the case of the laird of Champertoun?"
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
at any time
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading Has he forgotten the case of the laird of Champertoun?"
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
a man of refinement
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
United States clarinetist who in 1934 formed a big band (including black as well as white musicians) and introduced a kind of jazz known as swing (1909-1986)
From this reading "Or the goodman of Heriotside?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
the native habitat or home of an animal or plant
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Has he forgotten the case of the laird of Champertoun?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Has he forgotten the case of the laird of Champertoun?"
someone who listens attentively
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Or the goodman of Heriotside?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
English dramatist (1558-1594)
From this reading Kyd started violently.
a landowner
From this reading Has he forgotten the case of the laird of Champertoun?"
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Has he forgotten the case of the laird of Champertoun?"
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "Or the goodman of Heriotside?"
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
affording physical relief
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Kyd started violently.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
in a violent manner
From this reading Kyd started violently.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The voice was gentle and soothing, but it seemed to wake acute terror in one hearer.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "I do not think that Greyhouses will ever again be a pleasant habitation for the gentleman.
Chapter 12 of Midwinter: Certain Travellers in Old England by John Buchan holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 12 holds 413 sentences of Midwinter: Certain Travellers in Old England, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Midwinter: Certain Travellers in Old England by John Buchan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 12 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 Midwinter: Certain Travellers in Old England by John Buchan on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5784 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59178 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #59178, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 482 minutes of reading across 1157 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Midwinter: Certain Travellers in Old England section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of Midwinter: Certain Travellers in Old England 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 Midwinter: Certain Travellers in Old England, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
