Chapter 30 of The Argus Pheasant is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXX
Chapter 30 of The Argus Pheasant is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia. The governor-general was frowning. "So! _mynheer_," he exclaimed gruffly. "This is not a very happy report you have brought me."
Chapter 30 of The Argus Pheasant is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/17 · 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.
a method of tending to or managing the affairs of a some group of people (especially the group's business affairs)
From this reading “THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.”
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading “THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.”
showing displeasure or anger
From this reading “The governor-general was frowning.”
possessive form of “governor” — the head of a state government
From this reading “THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.”
before any deductions
From this reading “THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.”
in a gruff manner
From this reading “_mynheer_," he exclaimed gruffly.”
possessive form of “latter” — the second of two or the second mentioned of two
From this reading “THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.”
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading “THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.”
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.
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 "This is not a very happy report you have brought me."
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
a method of tending to or managing the affairs of a some group of people (especially the group's business affairs)
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading "This is not a very happy report you have brought me."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading _mynheer_," he exclaimed gruffly.
showing displeasure or anger
From this reading The governor-general was frowning.
possessive form of “governor” — the head of a state government
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
before any deductions
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
in a gruff manner
From this reading _mynheer_," he exclaimed gruffly.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading "This is not a very happy report you have brought me."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "This is not a very happy report you have brought me."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _mynheer_," he exclaimed gruffly.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "This is not a very happy report you have brought me."
and nothing more
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
possessive form of “latter” — the second of two or the second mentioned of two
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "This is not a very happy report you have brought me."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _mynheer_," he exclaimed gruffly.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "This is not a very happy report you have brought me."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading "This is not a very happy report you have brought me."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "So!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "This is not a very happy report you have brought me."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading THE GOVERNOR'S PROMISE Peter Gross had just concluded an account of his administration in Bulungan to Governor-General Van Schouten at the latter's _paleis_ in Batavia.
precisely as stated
From this reading "This is not a very happy report you have brought me."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The governor-general was frowning.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "This is not a very happy report you have brought me."
Chapter 30 of The Argus Pheasant by John Charles Beecham holds 86 sentences, grouped into 18 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 30 holds 86 sentences of The Argus Pheasant, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 30 of The Argus Pheasant by John Charles Beecham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 86 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 30 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 The Argus Pheasant by John Charles Beecham on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5660 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37215 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #37215, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 471 minutes of reading across 1132 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Argus Pheasant section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 31 chapters of The Argus Pheasant 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 The Argus Pheasant, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
