Chapter 23 of Of High Descent is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of Of High Descent is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Uncle Luke dear--Louise," said Madelaine imploringly. "Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Circumstances alter cases. Now look here, you two. I'm only an old man, and of course thoroughly in your confidence.
Chapter 23 of Of High Descent is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading “"Circumstances alter cases.”
plural of “case” — an occurrence of something
From this reading “"Circumstances alter cases.”
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading “"Circumstances alter cases.”
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading “I'm only an old man, and of course thoroughly in your confidence.”
(New Testament) the Apostle closely associated with St. Paul and traditionally assumed to be the author of the third Gospel
From this reading “"Uncle Luke dear--Louise," said Madelaine imploringly.”
in an exhaustive manner
From this reading “I'm only an old man, and of course thoroughly in your confidence.”
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading “"Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.”
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading “"Uncle Luke dear--Louise," said Madelaine imploringly.”
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 “"Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.”
a man who is very old
In this reading “"Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.”
as might be expected
In this reading “I'm only an old man, and of course thoroughly in your confidence.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading "Circumstances alter cases.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I'm only an old man, and of course thoroughly in your confidence.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I'm only an old man, and of course thoroughly in your confidence.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.
plural of “case” — an occurrence of something
From this reading "Circumstances alter cases.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading "Circumstances alter cases.
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading I'm only an old man, and of course thoroughly in your confidence.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading I'm only an old man, and of course thoroughly in your confidence.
dearly loved
From this reading "Uncle Luke dear--Louise," said Madelaine imploringly.
opinion or judgment
From this reading "Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Now look here, you two.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm only an old man, and of course thoroughly in your confidence.
in a beseeching manner
From this reading "Uncle Luke dear--Louise," said Madelaine imploringly.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I'm only an old man, and of course thoroughly in your confidence.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Now look here, you two.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uncle Luke dear--Louise," said Madelaine imploringly.
(New Testament) the Apostle closely associated with St. Paul and traditionally assumed to be the author of the third Gospel
From this reading "Uncle Luke dear--Louise," said Madelaine imploringly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uncle Luke dear--Louise," said Madelaine imploringly.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.
in a disobedient or naughty way
From this reading "Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now look here, you two.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I'm only an old man, and of course thoroughly in your confidence.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.
and nothing more
From this reading I'm only an old man, and of course thoroughly in your confidence.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Uncle Luke dear--Louise," said Madelaine imploringly.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.
in an exhaustive manner
From this reading I'm only an old man, and of course thoroughly in your confidence.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading "Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Now look here, you two.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading "Uncle Luke dear--Louise," said Madelaine imploringly.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.
an affirmative
From this reading "Ah, to be sure, yes, Louise," said the old man with his eyes twinkling mischievously.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Now look here, you two.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I'm only an old man, and of course thoroughly in your confidence.
Chapter 23 of Of High Descent by George Manville Fenn holds 419 sentences, grouped into 84 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 23 holds 419 sentences of Of High Descent, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of Of High Descent by George Manville Fenn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 419 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 23 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 Of High Descent by George Manville Fenn on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 10632 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34246 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34246, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2127 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Of High Descent section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Of High Descent 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 Of High Descent, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
