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The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919
The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919 is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_J. J. Bell_.
AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.
In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.
Hassan followed, with never a look behind him.
Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919 is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_J. J. Bell_.
/dʒeɪ dʒeɪ bel/
Line 2
AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.
Line 3
In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.
/ɪn ˈsaɪ.ləns hiː ˈsʌfərd ðə ˈkɑːnsəl tuː led hɪm frʌm ðə ˈtepɪd ɡluːm ʌv ðə ˌɪnˈtɪriər θruː ðə ˈruːənəs ˈdɔːrweɪ aʊt ˈɪntuː ðə hɑːt ˈstʌnɪŋ ˈbrɪljəns ʌv ðə ˈdezərt ˈlændskeɪp/
Line 4
Hassan followed, with never a look behind him.
Line 5
Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

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.

actuality noun US /ˌæktʃuːˈælətiː/

the state of actually existing objectively

From this reading “AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.”

brilliance noun US /ˈbrɪljəns/

a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted

From this reading “In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.”

consul noun US /ˈkɑːnsəl/

a diplomat appointed by a government to protect its commercial interests and help its citizens in a foreign country

From this reading “In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.”

ruinous adjective US /ˈruːənəs/

extremely harmful; bringing physical or financial ruin

From this reading “In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.”

stunning adjective US /ˈstʌnɪŋ/

commanding attention

From this reading “In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.”

tepid adjective US /ˈtepɪd/

moderately warm

From this reading “In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.”

unbelievable adjective US /ˌʌnbəˈliːvəbəl/

beyond belief or understanding

From this reading “AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.”

worded verb US /ˈwɜːrdɪd/

past form of “word” — put into words or an expression

From this reading “AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

nerveless hand adjective + noun

In this reading “Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.”

In silence preposition + noun

In this reading “In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.”

All words in this reading · 62

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 Hassan followed, with never a look behind him.

actualitynounUS /ˌæktʃuːˈælətiː/

the state of actually existing objectively

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

AMINA

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

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading Hassan followed, with never a look behind him.

BellnounUS /bel/

a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading _J. J. Bell_.

brilliancenounUS /ˈbrɪljəns/

a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

completelyadverbUS /kəmˈpliːtli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

consulnounUS /ˈkɑːnsəl/

a diplomat appointed by a government to protect its commercial interests and help its citizens in a foreign country

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

consul's

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

From this reading Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

dazedadjectiveUS /deɪzd/

in a state of mental numbness especially as resulting from shock

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

desertverbUS /ˈdezərt/

leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

doorwaynounUS /ˈdɔːrweɪ/

the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading Hassan followed, with never a look behind him.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

gloomnounUS /ɡluːm/

a state of partial or total darkness

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

gunnounUS /ɡʌn/

a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

Hassan

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

From this reading Hassan followed, with never a look behind him.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

interioradjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɪriər/

situated within or suitable for inside a building

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

JnounUS /dʒeɪ/

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

From this reading _J. J. Bell_.

landscapenounUS /ˈlændskeɪp/

an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

leadverbUS /led/

take somebody somewhere

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Hassan followed, with never a look behind him.

nervelessadjective

marked by calm self-control (especially in trying circumstances); unemotional

From this reading Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Hassan followed, with never a look behind him.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

ruinousadjectiveUS /ˈruːənəs/

extremely harmful; bringing physical or financial ruin

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

stunningadjectiveUS /ˈstʌnɪŋ/

commanding attention

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

sufferedverbUS /ˈsʌfərd/

past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

tepidadjectiveUS /ˈtepɪd/

moderately warm

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading In silence he suffered the consul to lead him from the tepid gloom of the interior, through the ruinous doorway, out into the hot, stunning brilliance of the desert landscape.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

unbelievableadjectiveUS /ˌʌnbəˈliːvəbəl/

beyond belief or understanding

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

Waldo

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

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

Waldo's

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

From this reading Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

WithoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading Without any word he had taken Waldo’s gun from his nerveless hand and carried it, with his own and the consul’s.

wordedverbUS /ˈwɜːrdɪd/

past form of “word” — put into words or an expression

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading AMINA Waldo, brought face to face with the actuality of the unbelievable—as he himself would have worded it—was completely dazed.

Chapter 8 of The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919 by William C. (William Crowell) [Editor] Edgar holds 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919 contain?

Chapter 8 holds 422 sentences of The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919 by William C. (William Crowell) [Editor] Edgar exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919

Common questions about reading The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919 by William C. (William Crowell) [Editor] Edgar on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919?

Yes. All 4725 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #57322 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #57322, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919 take to read?

About 393 minutes of reading across 945 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919 section by section

How to work through The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chosen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edited
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
William
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edgar
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Bellman Book of Fiction, 1906-1919; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.