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The Black Dwarf
The Black Dwarf

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of The Black Dwarf is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Black Dwarf
Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.
The intruder on Miss Vere’s sorrows was Ratcliffe.
Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”
Then looking around--“Miss Vere, alone! on the ground! and in tears!”
Leave me--leave me, Mr. Ratcliffe,” said the unhappy young lady.
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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 Black Dwarf

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of The Black Dwarf is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.
Line 2
The intruder on Miss Vere’s sorrows was Ratcliffe.
Line 3
Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”
Line 4
Then looking around--“Miss Vere, alone! on the ground! and in tears!”
Line 5
Leave me--leave me, Mr. Ratcliffe,” said the unhappy young lady.

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.

agitation noun US /ˌædʒəˈteɪʃən/

a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance

From this reading “Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.””

cave noun US /keɪv/

a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea

From this reading “The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.”

intruder noun US /ˌɪnˈtruːdər/

someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission

From this reading “The intruder on Miss Vere’s sorrows was Ratcliffe.”

Musing noun US /ˈmjuːzɪŋ/

a calm, lengthy, intent consideration

From this reading “The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.”

sadly adverb US /ˈsædli/

in an unfortunate way

From this reading “The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.”

sorrows noun US /ˈsɑːroʊz/

plural of “sorrow” — an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading “The intruder on Miss Vere’s sorrows was Ratcliffe.”

sullen adjective US /ˈsʌlən/

showing a brooding ill humor

From this reading “The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.”

thither adverb US /ˈðɪθɜːr/

an old word meaning “to that place”

From this reading “Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.””

All words in this reading · 64

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.

agitationnounUS /ˌædʒəˈteɪʃən/

a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Then looking around--“Miss Vere, alone! on the ground! and in tears!”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Then looking around--“Miss Vere, alone! on the ground! and in tears!”

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading Then looking around--“Miss Vere, alone! on the ground! and in tears!”

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

cavenounUS /keɪv/

a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

countermandnoun

a contrary command cancelling or reversing a previous command

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

darksome

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

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

Ellieslaw

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

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

enterverbUS /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

FAERYnoun

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

intrudernounUS /ˌɪnˈtruːdər/

someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission

From this reading The intruder on Miss Vere’s sorrows was Ratcliffe.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading “Leave me--leave me, Mr. Ratcliffe,” said the unhappy young lady.

LeaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading “Leave me--leave me, Mr. Ratcliffe,” said the unhappy young lady.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Then looking around--“Miss Vere, alone! on the ground! and in tears!”

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading The intruder on Miss Vere’s sorrows was Ratcliffe.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

MusingnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪŋ/

a calm, lengthy, intent consideration

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

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

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

QUEENnounUS /kwiːn/

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

Ratcliffe

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

From this reading The intruder on Miss Vere’s sorrows was Ratcliffe.

sadlyadverbUS /ˈsædli/

in an unfortunate way

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Leave me--leave me, Mr. Ratcliffe,” said the unhappy young lady.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

sorrowsnounUS /ˈsɑːroʊz/

plural of “sorrow” — an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading The intruder on Miss Vere’s sorrows was Ratcliffe.

sullenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌlən/

showing a brooding ill humor

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

tearsnounUS /terz/

the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

From this reading Then looking around--“Miss Vere, alone! on the ground! and in tears!”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then looking around--“Miss Vere, alone! on the ground! and in tears!”

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

thitheradverbUS /ˈðɪθɜːr/

an old word meaning “to that place”

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

unhappyadjectiveUS /ənˈhæpi/

experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent

From this reading “Leave me--leave me, Mr. Ratcliffe,” said the unhappy young lady.

Vere

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

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

Vere's

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

From this reading The intruder on Miss Vere’s sorrows was Ratcliffe.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The intruder on Miss Vere’s sorrows was Ratcliffe.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

woful

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

From this reading The darksome cave they enter, where they found The woful man, low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind.--FAERY QUEEN.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Ellieslaw had, in the agitation of his mind, forgotten to countermand the order he had given to call him thither, so that he opened the door with the words, “You sent for me, Mr. Vere.”

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading “Leave me--leave me, Mr. Ratcliffe,” said the unhappy young lady.

Chapter 15 of The Black Dwarf by Walter Scott holds 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 15 of The Black Dwarf contain?

Chapter 15 holds 114 sentences of The Black Dwarf, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Black Dwarf by Walter Scott exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 15 of The Black Dwarf?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Black Dwarf

Common questions about reading The Black Dwarf by Walter Scott on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Black Dwarf?

Yes. All 1832 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1460 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Black Dwarf is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1460, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Black Dwarf take to read?

About 152 minutes of reading across 367 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Black Dwarf section by section

How to work through The Black Dwarf section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of The Black Dwarf 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 Black Dwarf

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Black Dwarf, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Preliminary
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Dwarf; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Philosophy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Dwarf; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shepherd
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Dwarf; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
April
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Dwarf; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.