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Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts
Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/77 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The young man put a hand to his forehead.
"Good Lord!"
I heard him say, "the amphitheatre!"
"Come, sir," I interrupted, "I think we have had enough of this jugglery."
But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The young man put a hand to his forehead.
/ðə jʌŋ mæn pʊt ə hænd tuː hɪz ˈfɔːrhed/
Line 2
"Good Lord!"
/ɡʊd lɔːrd/
Line 3
I heard him say, "the amphitheatre!"
/aɪ hɜːrd hɪm seɪ ðə ˈæmfəθiˈeɪtər/
Line 4
"Come, sir," I interrupted, "I think we have had enough of this jugglery."
Line 5
But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.
/bʌt ðə ɡɜːrlz vɔɪs went ɑːn ˈstedəli æz ɪf rɪˈpiːtɪŋ ə ˈlesən ənd ðen juː keɪm aɪ hɪz vɔɪs ræŋ ˈʃɑːrpli ənd aɪ sɔː ə ˈhɔːrər dɔːn ɪn hɪz aɪz ənd ɡroʊ/

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.

amphitheatre noun US /ˈæmfəθiˈeɪtər/

a sloping gallery with seats for spectators (as in an operating room or theater)

From this reading “I heard him say, "the amphitheatre!"”

dawn noun US /dɔːn/

the first light of day

From this reading “But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.”

girl's noun US /ɡɜːrlz/

possessive form of “girl” — a young female

From this reading “But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.”

lesson noun US /ˈlesən/

a unit of instruction

From this reading “But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.”

rang verb US /ræŋ/

inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading “But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.”

repeating noun US /rɪˈpiːtɪŋ/

the act of doing or performing again

From this reading “But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.”

sharply adverb US /ˈʃɑːrpli/

in an aggressive manner

From this reading “But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.”

steadily adverb US /ˈstedəli/

at a steady rate or pace

From this reading “But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.”

All words in this reading · 49

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 young man put a hand to his forehead.

amphitheatrenounUS /ˈæmfəθiˈeɪtər/

a sloping gallery with seats for spectators (as in an operating room or theater)

From this reading I heard him say, "the amphitheatre!"

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

ComeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "Come, sir," I interrupted, "I think we have had enough of this jugglery."

dawnnounUS /dɔːn/

the first light of day

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading "Come, sir," I interrupted, "I think we have had enough of this jugglery."

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

foreheadnounUS /ˈfɔːrhed/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading The young man put a hand to his forehead.

girl'snounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

possessive form of “girl” — a young female

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

GoodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading "Good Lord!"

growverbUS /ɡroʊ/

pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading "Come, sir," I interrupted, "I think we have had enough of this jugglery."

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading The young man put a hand to his forehead.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Come, sir," I interrupted, "I think we have had enough of this jugglery."

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading I heard him say, "the amphitheatre!"

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading I heard him say, "the amphitheatre!"

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The young man put a hand to his forehead.

horrornounUS /ˈhɔːrər/

intense and profound fear

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I heard him say, "the amphitheatre!"

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

interruptedadjectiveUS /ˌɪntərˈʌptɪd/

discontinued temporarily

From this reading "Come, sir," I interrupted, "I think we have had enough of this jugglery."

jugglerynoun

artful trickery designed to achieve an end

From this reading "Come, sir," I interrupted, "I think we have had enough of this jugglery."

lessonnounUS /ˈlesən/

a unit of instruction

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading "Good Lord!"

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading The young man put a hand to his forehead.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Come, sir," I interrupted, "I think we have had enough of this jugglery."

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The young man put a hand to his forehead.

rangverbUS /ræŋ/

inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

repeatingnounUS /rɪˈpiːtɪŋ/

the act of doing or performing again

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading I heard him say, "the amphitheatre!"

sharplyadverbUS /ˈʃɑːrpli/

in an aggressive manner

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading "Come, sir," I interrupted, "I think we have had enough of this jugglery."

steadilyadverbUS /ˈstedəli/

at a steady rate or pace

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The young man put a hand to his forehead.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading "Come, sir," I interrupted, "I think we have had enough of this jugglery."

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "Come, sir," I interrupted, "I think we have had enough of this jugglery."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The young man put a hand to his forehead.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "Come, sir," I interrupted, "I think we have had enough of this jugglery."

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading But the girl's voice went on steadily as if repeating a lesson:-- "And then you came--" "_I!_" His voice rang sharply, and I saw a horror dawn in his eyes, and grow.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading The young man put a hand to his forehead.

Chapter 8 of Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts by Arthur Quiller-Couch holds 389 sentences, grouped into 78 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 8 of Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts contain?

Chapter 8 holds 389 sentences of Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts by Arthur Quiller-Couch exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 389 sentences, grouped into 78 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 8 of Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts?

Work through the 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 78 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts

Common questions about reading Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts by Arthur Quiller-Couch on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts?

Yes. All 4916 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13799 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #13799, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts take to read?

About 409 minutes of reading across 984 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts section by section

How to work through Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts 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 Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts

Words and structures a reader meets early in Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fires
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Profitable
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ghosts
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Quiller-couch
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.