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St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2
St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2

Chapter XXII · Chapter 22

Chapter 22 of St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2 is here in full — 167 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE EXORCISM.
It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.
Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.
There was little talk in the hall during dinner that day, and not much in the marquis's dining-room.
In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2

Chapter XXII · Chapter 22

Chapter 22 of St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2 is here in full — 167 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE EXORCISM.
/ðə ˈeksərsɪzəm/
Line 2
It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.
Line 3
Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.
/əˈpɑːn ðɪs əˈkeɪʒən dərˈekʃənz wɜːr ˈɡɪvən ðæt ðə ɡeɪts ʃʊd rɪˈmeɪn kloʊzd ənˈtɪl ðə ˈɪʃuː ʌv ˈfɜːrðər ˈɔːrdərz/
Line 4
There was little talk in the hall during dinner that day, and not much in the marquis's dining-room.
Line 5
In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.

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.

directions noun US /dərˈekʃənz/

plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point

From this reading “Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.”

dispersed adjective US /dɪˈspɜːrst/

distributed or spread over a considerable extent

From this reading “It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.”

duties noun US /ˈduːtiz/

plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading “It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.”

eleven adjective US /ɪˈlevən/

being one more than ten

From this reading “It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.”

exorcism noun US /ˈeksərsɪzəm/

freeing from evil spirits

From this reading “THE EXORCISM.”

gates noun US /ɡeɪts/

United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)

From this reading “It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.”

issue verb US /ˈɪʃuː/

prepare and issue for public distribution or sale

From this reading “Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.”

tables noun US /ˈteɪbəlz/

plural of “table” — a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading “It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.”

All words in this reading · 72

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

Amanda

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

From this reading In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

beginverbUS /bɪˈɡɪn/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

closedadjectiveUS /kloʊzd/

not open or affording passage or access

From this reading Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.

customnounUS /ˈkʌstəm/

accepted or habitual practice

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading There was little talk in the hall during dinner that day, and not much in the marquis's dining-room.

dining-roomnoun

a room used for dining

From this reading There was little talk in the hall during dinner that day, and not much in the marquis's dining-room.

dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

directionsnounUS /dərˈekʃənz/

plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point

From this reading Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.

dispersedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspɜːrst/

distributed or spread over a considerable extent

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading There was little talk in the hall during dinner that day, and not much in the marquis's dining-room.

dutiesnounUS /ˈduːtiz/

plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

elevenadjectiveUS /ɪˈlevən/

being one more than ten

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

EXORCISMnounUS /ˈeksərsɪzəm/

freeing from evil spirits

From this reading THE EXORCISM.

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.

furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.

gatesnounUS /ɡeɪts/

United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

hallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading There was little talk in the hall during dinner that day, and not much in the marquis's dining-room.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.

housekeeper's

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

From this reading In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.

illadjectiveUS /ɪl/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

issueverbUS /ˈɪʃuː/

prepare and issue for public distribution or sale

From this reading Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading There was little talk in the hall during dinner that day, and not much in the marquis's dining-room.

marquis's

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

From this reading There was little talk in the hall during dinner that day, and not much in the marquis's dining-room.

mealnounUS /miːl/

the food served and eaten at one time

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

midstnounUS /mɪdst/

the location of something surrounded by other things

From this reading In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.

mistressnounUS /ˈmɪstrəs/

an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man

From this reading In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading There was little talk in the hall during dinner that day, and not much in the marquis's dining-room.

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading There was little talk in the hall during dinner that day, and not much in the marquis's dining-room.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

occasionnounUS /əˈkeɪʒən/

an event that occurs at a critical time

From this reading Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.

openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

ordersnounUS /ˈɔːrdərz/

plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

Raglannoun

a garment (coat or sweater) that has raglan sleeves

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

remainverbUS /rɪˈmeɪn/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.

tablesnounUS /ˈteɪbəlz/

plural of “table” — a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading In the midst of the meal at the housekeeper's table, mistress Amanda was taken suddenly ill, and nearly fell from her chair.

talkverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading There was little talk in the hall during dinner that day, and not much in the marquis's dining-room.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE EXORCISM.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was little talk in the hall during dinner that day, and not much in the marquis's dining-room.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

UponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Upon this occasion directions were given that the gates should remain closed until the issue of further orders.

variousadjectiveUS /ˈveriəs/

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading It was the custom in Raglan to close the gates at eleven o'clock every morning, and then begin to lay the tables for dinner; nor were they opened again until the meal was over, and all had dispersed to their various duties.

Chapter 22 of St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2 by George MacDonald holds 167 sentences, grouped into 34 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 22 of St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2 contain?

Chapter 22 holds 167 sentences of St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 22 of St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2 by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 167 sentences, grouped into 34 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 22 of St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 22 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 22 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 St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2

Common questions about reading St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2 by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2?

Yes. All 2678 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5751 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5751, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2 take to read?

About 223 minutes of reading across 536 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2 section by section

How to work through St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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Vocabulary met early in St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2

Words and structures a reader meets early in St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fire-engine
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Supper
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Housekeeper's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dorothy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. George and St. Michael, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.