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Mr. Standfast

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of Mr. Standfast is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By John Buchan • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Mr. Standfast

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

Geordie Hamilton and Amos were his companions.

From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

It was like the journey of a mad dream.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XX Reading 1/84

Mr. Standfast

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of Mr. Standfast is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

Line 2

I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

Line 3

Geordie Hamilton and Amos were his companions.

Line 4

From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

Line 5

It was like the journey of a mad dream.

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.

Dream noun US /driːm/

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading “It was like the journey of a mad dream.”

Same adjective US /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading “I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.”

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.

20th

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

a

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

From this reading It was like the journey of a mad dream.

after

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

Amos

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

From this reading Geordie Hamilton and Amos were his companions.

and

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

as

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

before

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

big

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

Blenkiron

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

From this reading From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

bound

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

Breaks

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

car

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

Chalet

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

From this reading From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

closed

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

companions

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

From this reading Geordie Hamilton and Amos were his companions.

dark

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

day

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

details

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

From this reading From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

discovered

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

From this reading From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

dreamnounUS /driːm/

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading It was like the journey of a mad dream.

drove

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

errand

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

evening

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

fell

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

following

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

for

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

France

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

From

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

From this reading From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

full

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

From this reading From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

gagged

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

Geordie

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

From this reading Geordie Hamilton and Amos were his companions.

had

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

Hamilton

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

From this reading Geordie Hamilton and Amos were his companions.

him

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

himself

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

From this reading From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

his

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

From this reading Geordie Hamilton and Amos were his companions.

I

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

in

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

it

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

its

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

Ivery's

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

journey

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

From this reading It was like the journey of a mad dream.

like

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

From this reading It was like the journey of a mad dream.

mad

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

From this reading It was like the journey of a mad dream.

March

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

mysterious

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

From this reading From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

of

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

on

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

others

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

owner

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

papers

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

From this reading From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

Pink

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

From this reading From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

road

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

From this reading From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

sat

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

seized

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

From this reading From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

stages

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

From this reading From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

started

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

Storm

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

The

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

was

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

were

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

From this reading Geordie Hamilton and Amos were his companions.

West

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

From this reading The Storm Breaks in the West The following evening—it was the 20th day of March—I started for France after the dark fell.

what

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

From this reading From what Blenkiron had himself discovered and from the papers seized in the Pink Chalet I had full details of the road and its mysterious stages.

within

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

From this reading I drove Ivery’s big closed car, and within sat its owner, bound and gagged, as others had sat before him on the same errand.

Chapter 20 of Mr. Standfast by John Buchan holds 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 20 of Mr. Standfast contain?

Chapter 20 holds 422 sentences of Mr. Standfast, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of Mr. Standfast by John Buchan exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 20 of Mr. Standfast?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 20 be read aloud to me?

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.

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.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 22 chapters of Mr. Standfast to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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.