Chapter 10 of Much Darker Days is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of Much Darker Days is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IT was out! She knew! What was I to say, how evade her impulsive cross-examinations. I fell back upon evasions. ‘Why do I want to know?’ she echoed, ‘because I choose to!
Chapter 10 of Much Darker Days is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/13 · 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.
for the reason that
From this reading “‘Why do I want to know?’ she echoed, ‘because I choose to!”
pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading “‘Why do I want to know?’ she echoed, ‘because I choose to!”
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading “‘Why do I want to know?’ she echoed, ‘because I choose to!”
avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
From this reading “What was I to say, how evade her impulsive cross-examinations.”
plural of “evasion” — a statement that is not literally false but that cleverly avoids an unpleasant truth
From this reading “I fell back upon evasions.”
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading “I fell back upon evasions.”
proceeding from natural feeling or impulse without external stimulus
From this reading “What was I to say, how evade her impulsive cross-examinations.”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “‘Why do I want to know?’ she echoed, ‘because I choose to!”
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.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading I fell back upon evasions.
for the reason that
From this reading ‘Why do I want to know?’ she echoed, ‘because I choose to!
pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading ‘Why do I want to know?’ she echoed, ‘because I choose to!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What was I to say, how evade her impulsive cross-examinations.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading ‘Why do I want to know?’ she echoed, ‘because I choose to!
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading ‘Why do I want to know?’ she echoed, ‘because I choose to!
avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
From this reading What was I to say, how evade her impulsive cross-examinations.
plural of “evasion” — a statement that is not literally false but that cleverly avoids an unpleasant truth
From this reading I fell back upon evasions.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading I fell back upon evasions.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading What was I to say, how evade her impulsive cross-examinations.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What was I to say, how evade her impulsive cross-examinations.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading What was I to say, how evade her impulsive cross-examinations.
proceeding from natural feeling or impulse without external stimulus
From this reading What was I to say, how evade her impulsive cross-examinations.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading IT was out!
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading She knew!
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading ‘Why do I want to know?’ she echoed, ‘because I choose to!
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading IT was out!
express in words
From this reading What was I to say, how evade her impulsive cross-examinations.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She knew!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading What was I to say, how evade her impulsive cross-examinations.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading I fell back upon evasions.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading ‘Why do I want to know?’ she echoed, ‘because I choose to!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading IT was out!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What was I to say, how evade her impulsive cross-examinations.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading ‘Why do I want to know?’ she echoed, ‘because I choose to!
Chapter 10 of Much Darker Days by Andrew Lang holds 68 sentences, grouped into 14 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 10 holds 68 sentences of Much Darker Days, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of Much Darker Days by Andrew Lang exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 68 sentences, grouped into 14 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 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 14 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 10 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 Much Darker Days by Andrew Lang on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Much Darker Days section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Much Darker Days 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 Much Darker Days, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
