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The Altar of the Dead
The Altar of the Dead

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Altar of the Dead is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Altar of the Dead
Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.
In the dreadful cemetery alone he had been on his feet an hour.
Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.
He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.
By day there was nothing, but by night there were lamps, and George Stransom was in a mood that made lamps good in themselves.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Altar of the Dead

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Altar of the Dead 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

Line 1
The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.
Line 2
In the dreadful cemetery alone he had been on his feet an hour.
Line 3
Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.
Line 4
He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.
Line 5
By day there was nothing, but by night there were lamps, and George Stransom was in a mood that made lamps good in themselves.

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.

Alone adjective US /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading “In the dreadful cemetery alone he had been on his feet an hour.”

All words in this reading · 82

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.

a

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

afternoon

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading In the dreadful cemetery alone he had been on his feet an hour.

an

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

From this reading In the dreadful cemetery alone he had been on his feet an hour.

and

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

are

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

back

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

because

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

been

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

From this reading In the dreadful cemetery alone he had been on his feet an hour.

but

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

From this reading By day there was nothing, but by night there were lamps, and George Stransom was in a mood that made lamps good in themselves.

by

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

cabman

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

case

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

cemetery

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

From this reading In the dreadful cemetery alone he had been on his feet an hour.

circling

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

civil

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

coming

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

corner

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

course

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

day

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

desert

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

devious

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

dreadful

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

From this reading In the dreadful cemetery alone he had been on his feet an hour.

dreariness

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

dusk

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

feet

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

From this reading In the dreadful cemetery alone he had been on his feet an hour.

former

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

gathered

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

George

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

From this reading By day there was nothing, but by night there were lamps, and George Stransom was in a mood that made lamps good in themselves.

gift

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

gloomy

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

good

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

From this reading By day there was nothing, but by night there were lamps, and George Stransom was in a mood that made lamps good in themselves.

great

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

grey

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

had

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

he

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

him

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

his

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

hour

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

From this reading In the dreadful cemetery alone he had been on his feet an hour.

hovered

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

in

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

Instinctively

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

it

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

knew

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

lamps

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

From this reading By day there was nothing, but by night there were lamps, and George Stransom was in a mood that made lamps good in themselves.

less

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

light

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

London

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

long

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

made

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

measured

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

mood

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

From this reading By day there was nothing, but by night there were lamps, and George Stransom was in a mood that made lamps good in themselves.

next

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

night

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

no

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

nothing

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

From this reading By day there was nothing, but by night there were lamps, and George Stransom was in a mood that made lamps good in themselves.

of

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

on

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

From this reading In the dreadful cemetery alone he had been on his feet an hour.

one

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

out

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

over

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

paused

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

possible

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

prey

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

Stransom

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

From this reading By day there was nothing, but by night there were lamps, and George Stransom was in a mood that made lamps good in themselves.

suburb

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

taken

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

than

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

that

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

The

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

themselves

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

From this reading By day there was nothing, but by night there were lamps, and George Stransom was in a mood that made lamps good in themselves.

then

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

there

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

From this reading By day there was nothing, but by night there were lamps, and George Stransom was in a mood that made lamps good in themselves.

they

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

those

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

through

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

tired

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

tracts

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

From this reading He paused on a corner and measured the dreariness; then he made out through the gathered dusk that he was in one of those tracts of London which are less gloomy by night than by day, because, in the former case of the civil gift of light.

walk

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

From this reading The next day, in the afternoon, in the great grey suburb, he knew his long walk had tired him.

was

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

were

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

From this reading By day there was nothing, but by night there were lamps, and George Stransom was in a mood that made lamps good in themselves.

which

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

From this reading Instinctively, coming back, they had taken him a devious course, and it was a desert in which no circling cabman hovered over possible prey.

Chapter 3 of The Altar of the Dead by Henry James holds 68 sentences, grouped into 14 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 3 of The Altar of the Dead contain?

Chapter 3 holds 68 sentences of The Altar of the Dead, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Altar of the Dead by Henry James exactly as it stands in the public-domain 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.

How do I study chapter 3 of The Altar of the Dead?

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.

Can chapter 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 The Altar of the Dead

Common questions about reading The Altar of the Dead by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Altar of the Dead?

Yes. All 642 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #642 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Altar of the Dead is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #642, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Altar of the Dead take to read?

About 53 minutes of reading across 129 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Altar of the Dead section by section

How to work through The Altar of the Dead section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Altar of the Dead 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 The Altar of the Dead

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Altar of the Dead, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mortal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Altar of the Dead; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dislike
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Altar of the Dead; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stransom
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Altar of the Dead; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Anniversaries
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Altar of the Dead; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.