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Mr. Standfast
Mr. Standfast

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of Mr. Standfast is here in full — 273 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mr. Standfast
Context Illustration Reading 1/54 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Cage of the Wild Birds Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.
There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.
It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.
I found a little table on which I could lean my back, for I was dropping with fatigue.
Blenkiron sat at the writing-table and in front of him were little rows of Patience cards.
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.

Mr. Standfast

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of Mr. Standfast is here in full — 273 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/54 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Cage of the Wild BirdsWhy, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.
Line 2
There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.
Line 3
It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.
Line 4
I found a little table on which I could lean my back, for I was dropping with fatigue.
Line 5
Blenkiron sat at the writing-table and in front of him were little rows of Patience cards.

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.

Stood verb US /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading “It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

a

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

and

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

From this reading Blenkiron sat at the writing-table and in front of him were little rows of Patience cards.

at

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

back

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

From this reading I found a little table on which I could lean my back, for I was dropping with fatigue.

before

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

Birds

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

Blenkiron

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

From this reading Blenkiron sat at the writing-table and in front of him were little rows of Patience cards.

but

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

From this reading It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.

by

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

Cage

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

cards

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

From this reading Blenkiron sat at the writing-table and in front of him were little rows of Patience cards.

come

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

could

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

From this reading It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.

cracks

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

From this reading It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.

door

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

draught

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

dropping

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

From this reading I found a little table on which I could lean my back, for I was dropping with fatigue.

entered

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

fatigue

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

From this reading I found a little table on which I could lean my back, for I was dropping with fatigue.

fireplace

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

for

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

From this reading I found a little table on which I could lean my back, for I was dropping with fatigue.

found

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

From this reading I found a little table on which I could lean my back, for I was dropping with fatigue.

from

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

front

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

From this reading Blenkiron sat at the writing-table and in front of him were little rows of Patience cards.

had

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

head

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

From this reading It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.

higher

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

From this reading It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.

him

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

From this reading Blenkiron sat at the writing-table and in front of him were little rows of Patience cards.

I

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

in

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

It

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

From this reading It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.

Ivery

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

keep

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

lean

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

From this reading I found a little table on which I could lean my back, for I was dropping with fatigue.

little

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

From this reading I found a little table on which I could lean my back, for I was dropping with fatigue.

me

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

Mr

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

my

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

From this reading It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.

of

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

off

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

on

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

From this reading I found a little table on which I could lean my back, for I was dropping with fatigue.

Patience

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

From this reading Blenkiron sat at the writing-table and in front of him were little rows of Patience cards.

right

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

room

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

From this reading It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.

rows

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

From this reading Blenkiron sat at the writing-table and in front of him were little rows of Patience cards.

said

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

sat

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

From this reading Blenkiron sat at the writing-table and in front of him were little rows of Patience cards.

screen

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.

stretching

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

table

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

than

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

From this reading It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.

The

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

There

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

through

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

From this reading It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.

to

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

voice

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

was

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

watch

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

From this reading It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.

were

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

From this reading It stood higher than my head but there were cracks in it through which I could watch the room.

which

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

From this reading There was a screen before me, stretching from the fireplace to keep off the draught from the door by which I had entered.

Why

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

Wild

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

From this reading The Cage of the Wild Birds “Why, Mr Ivery, come right in,” said the voice at the table.

with

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

From this reading I found a little table on which I could lean my back, for I was dropping with fatigue.

writing-table

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

From this reading Blenkiron sat at the writing-table and in front of him were little rows of Patience cards.

Chapter 19 of Mr. Standfast by John Buchan holds 273 sentences, grouped into 55 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 19 of Mr. Standfast contain?

Chapter 19 holds 273 sentences of Mr. Standfast, unabridged, divided into 55 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of Mr. Standfast by John Buchan exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 273 sentences, grouped into 55 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 19 of Mr. Standfast?

Work through the 55 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 55 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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 Mr. Standfast

Common questions about reading Mr. Standfast by John Buchan on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mr. Standfast?

Yes. All 8255 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #560 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mr. Standfast is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #560, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mr. Standfast take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1651 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mr. Standfast section by section

How to work through Mr. Standfast section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 22 chapters of Mr. Standfast 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 Mr. Standfast

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mr. Standfast, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Spent
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mr. Standfast; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
One-third
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mr. Standfast; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Journey
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mr. Standfast; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Looking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mr. Standfast; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.