Chapter 12 of Ramshackle House is here in full — 352 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Ramshackle House is here in full — 352 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her. He had already been out-of-doors and had heard the startling news. He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority. "What is this?" he cried. "Counsell is caught?
Chapter 12 of Ramshackle House is here in full — 352 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/70 · 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.
arousing or provoking laughter
From this reading “He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.”
an exhilarating psychological state of pride and optimism; an absence of depression
From this reading “He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.”
(chemistry) a substance consisting of two or more substances mixed together (not in fixed proportions and not with chemical bonding)
From this reading “He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.”
angered at something unjust or wrong
From this reading “He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.”
designating the generation of organisms from which hybrid offspring are produced
From this reading “He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.”
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading “THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.”
plural of “sail” — a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel
From this reading “THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.”
so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm
From this reading “He had already been out-of-doors and had heard the startling news.”
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 “He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.”
In this reading “THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.”
In this reading “He had already been out-of-doors and had heard the startling news.”
In this reading “THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.”
In this reading “He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading He had already been out-of-doors and had heard the startling news.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
the power or right to give orders or make decisions
From this reading He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had already been out-of-doors and had heard the startling news.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading "Counsell is caught?
arousing or provoking laughter
From this reading He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Counsell is caught?
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "What is this?" he cried.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
an exhilarating psychological state of pride and optimism; an absence of depression
From this reading He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had already been out-of-doors and had heard the startling news.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had already been out-of-doors and had heard the startling news.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He had already been out-of-doors and had heard the startling news.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What is this?" he cried.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
(chemistry) a substance consisting of two or more substances mixed together (not in fixed proportions and not with chemical bonding)
From this reading He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
information about recent and important events
From this reading He had already been out-of-doors and had heard the startling news.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.
where the air is unconfined
From this reading He had already been out-of-doors and had heard the startling news.
angered at something unjust or wrong
From this reading He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.
designating the generation of organisms from which hybrid offspring are produced
From this reading He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.
plural of “sail” — a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm
From this reading He had already been out-of-doors and had heard the startling news.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "What is this?" he cried.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE _ALEXANDRA_ SAILS AWAY Next morning Pen was late, for her, in getting down-stairs, and her father was before her.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What is this?" he cried.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He was pale with excitement, and his expression presented a comical mixture of elation and outraged parental authority.
Chapter 12 of Ramshackle House by Hulbert Footner holds 352 sentences, grouped into 71 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 12 holds 352 sentences of Ramshackle House, unabridged, divided into 71 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Ramshackle House by Hulbert Footner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 352 sentences, grouped into 71 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 71 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 71 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 12 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 Ramshackle House by Hulbert Footner on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7339 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #57138 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #57138, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1468 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ramshackle House section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of Ramshackle House 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 Ramshackle House, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
