Miranda of the Balcony: A Story

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story is here in full — 312 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

A couple of corded trunks stood ready for the porters, while the manager of the line sat in the window overlooking Algeciras Bay, and gave him gratuitous advice as to totally different and very superior methods of packing.

The manager suddenly rose to his feet.

"Here's the P. and O. coming into the bay," he said.

"Man, but you have very little time.

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Chapter XII Reading 1/62

Miranda of the Balcony: A Story A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story is here in full — 312 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau. A couple of corded trunks stood ready for the porters, while the manager of the line sat in the window overlooking Algeciras Bay, and gave him gratuitous advice as to totally different and very superior methods of packing. The manager suddenly rose to his feet. "Here's the P. and O. coming into the bay," he said. "Man, but you have very little time.

Miranda of the Balcony: A Story

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story is here in full — 312 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/62 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

Line 2

Line 3

The manager suddenly rose to his feet.

/ðə ˈmænədʒər ˈsʌdənli roʊz tuː hɪz fiːt/

Line 4

"Here's the P. and O. coming into the bay," he said.

Line 5

"Man, but you have very little time.

/mæn bʌt juː hæv ˈveri ˈlɪtəl taɪm/

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.

corded adjective US /ˈkɔːrdəd/

of textiles; having parallel raised lines

From this reading “A couple of corded trunks stood ready for the porters, while the manager of the line sat in the window overlooking Algeciras Bay, and gave him gratuitous advice as to totally different and very superior methods of packing.”

crushing adjective US /ˈkrʌʃɪŋ/

physically or spiritually devastating; often used in combination

From this reading “THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.”

gratuitous adjective US /ɡrəˈtuːətəs/

without cause

overlooking adjective US /ˈoʊvərlʊkɪŋ/

used of a height or viewpoint

packing noun US /ˈpækɪŋ/

any material used especially to protect something

porters noun US /ˈpɔːrtərz/

plural of “porter” — a person employed to carry luggage and supplies

portmanteau noun US /ˈpɔːrtmɑːntoʊ/

a new word formed by joining two others and combining their meanings

From this reading “THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.”

totally adverb US /ˈtoʊtəli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

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.

totally different adverb + adjective

In this reading “A couple of corded trunks stood ready for the porters, while the manager of the line sat in the window overlooking Algeciras Bay, and gave him gratuitous advice as to totally different and very superior methods of packing.”

next morning adjective + noun

In this reading “THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.”

stood ready verb + adjective

into the bay preposition + article + noun counted as “into … bay”

In this reading “"Here's the P. and O. coming into the bay," he said.”

IN A FOG preposition + article + noun counted as “in … fog”

In this reading “THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.”

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

advicenounUS /ædˈvaɪs/

a proposal for an appropriate course of action

From this reading A couple of corded trunks stood ready for the porters, while the manager of the line sat in the window overlooking Algeciras Bay, and gave him gratuitous advice as to totally different and very superior methods of packing.

Algeciras

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

ALLadjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

BaynounUS /beɪ/

an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "Man, but you have very little time.

Charnock

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

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

clothesnounUS /kloʊðz/

clothing in general

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading "Here's the P. and O. coming into the bay," he said.

cordedadjectiveUS /ˈkɔːrdəd/

of textiles; having parallel raised lines

couplenounUS /ˈkʌpəl/

a pair who associate with one another

crushingadjectiveUS /ˈkrʌʃɪŋ/

physically or spiritually devastating; often used in combination

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

eightadjectiveUS /eɪt/

being one more than seven

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading The manager suddenly rose to his feet.

FINDSnounUS /faɪndz/

plural of “find” — a productive insight

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

FOGnounUS /fɑːɡ/

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

gratuitousadjectiveUS /ɡrəˈtuːətəs/

without cause

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Man, but you have very little time.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Here's the P. and O. coming into the bay," he said.

Here's

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

From this reading "Here's the P. and O. coming into the bay," he said.

HEROnounUS /ˈhɪroʊ/

a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

HEROESnounUS /ˈhɪroʊz/

plural of “hero” — a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

HIMSELFpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

LIKEverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading "Man, but you have very little time.

MannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading "Man, but you have very little time.

managernounUS /ˈmænədʒər/

someone who controls resources and expenditures

methodsnounUS /ˈmeθədz/

plural of “method” — a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading "Here's the P. and O. coming into the bay," he said.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

overlookingadjectiveUS /ˈoʊvərlʊkɪŋ/

used of a height or viewpoint

PnounUS /piː/

a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms

From this reading "Here's the P. and O. coming into the bay," he said.

packingnounUS /ˈpækɪŋ/

any material used especially to protect something

portersnounUS /ˈpɔːrtərz/

plural of “porter” — a person employed to carry luggage and supplies

portmanteaunounUS /ˈpɔːrtmɑːntoʊ/

a new word formed by joining two others and combining their meanings

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

remaindernounUS /rɪˈmeɪndər/

something left after other parts have been taken away

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

rosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading The manager suddenly rose to his feet.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Here's the P. and O. coming into the bay," he said.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading The manager suddenly rose to his feet.

superioradjectiveUS /suːˈpɪriər/

of high or superior quality or performance

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading "Man, but you have very little time.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

totallyadverbUS /ˈtoʊtəli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

trunksnounUS /trʌŋks/

(used in the plural) trousers that end at or above the knee

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG At eight o'clock the next morning Charnock was crushing the remainder of his clothes into a portmanteau.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

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

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Man, but you have very little time.

Chapter 12 of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason holds 312 sentences, grouped into 63 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 12 of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story contain?

Chapter 12 holds 312 sentences of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story, unabridged, divided into 63 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 312 sentences, grouped into 63 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 12 of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story?

Work through the 63 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 63 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 12 be read aloud to me?

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.

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Yes. All 4994 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38679 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #38679, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 416 minutes of reading across 999 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Miranda of the Balcony: A Story

Words and structures a reader meets early in Miranda of the Balcony: A Story, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

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Chapter XII

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