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The Black Opal
The Black Opal

Chapter XIII

Chapter 13 of The Black Opal is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Black Opal
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.
Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.
They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.
She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.
They did not talk much when they were together.
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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 Opal

Chapter XIII

Chapter 13 of The Black Opal is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.
Line 2
Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.
Line 3
They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.
Line 4
She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.
Line 5
They did not talk much when they were together.
/ðeɪ dɪd nɑːt tɔːk mʌtʃ wen ðeɪ wɜːr təˈɡeðər/

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.

afternoons noun US /ˌæftərˈnuːnz/

plural of “afternoon” — the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading “Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.”

arrange verb US /ərˈeɪndʒ/

put into a proper or systematic order

From this reading “They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.”

Friday noun US /ˈfraɪdi/

the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day

From this reading “Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.”

occasions noun US /əˈkeɪʒənz/

something you have to do

From this reading “She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.”

paddock noun US /ˈpædək/

pen where racehorses are saddled and paraded before a race

From this reading “Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.”

sales noun US /seɪlz/

income (at invoice values) received for goods and services over some given period of time

From this reading “Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.”

tank noun US /tæŋk/

an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads

From this reading “Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.”

truck noun US /trʌk/

an automotive vehicle suitable for hauling

From this reading “Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.”

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.

on the road preposition + article + noun counted as “on … road”

travelling about

In this reading “Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.”

know why verb + noun

In this reading “She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.”

in the paddock preposition + article + noun counted as “in … paddock”

In this reading “Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.”

talk much verb + particle

In this reading “They did not talk much when they were together.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

afternoonsnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːnz/

plural of “afternoon” — the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

arrangeverbUS /ərˈeɪndʒ/

put into a proper or systematic order

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

ArthurnounUS /ˈɑːrθər/

elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.

Budda

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

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

cattlenounUS /ˈkætəl/

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

expectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

FridaynounUS /ˈfraɪdi/

the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

goldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

Henty

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

From this reading Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.

likedadjectiveUS /laɪkt/

found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form

From this reading She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

metverbUS /met/

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

occasionsnounUS /əˈkeɪʒənz/

something you have to do

From this reading She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.

paddocknounUS /ˈpædək/

pen where racehorses are saddled and paraded before a race

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

roadnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.

salesnounUS /seɪlz/

income (at invoice values) received for goods and services over some given period of time

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

sheepnounUS /ʃiːp/

woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.

Sophie

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

From this reading Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.

talkverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading They did not talk much when they were together.

tanknounUS /tæŋk/

an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading They did not talk much when they were together.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading Sophie often met Arthur Henty on the road just out of the town.

trucknounUS /trʌk/

an automotive vehicle suitable for hauling

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

UsuallyadverbUS /ˈjuːʒəwəli/

under normal conditions

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading They did not arrange to meet, but Sophie expected to see Arthur when she went to the tank paddock, and she knew he expected to find her there.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Usually it was going to or coming from the tank paddock, or in the paddock, on Friday afternoons, when he had been into Budda for the sales or to truck sheep or cattle.

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading She did not know why she liked being with Arthur Henty so much, or why they were such golden occasions when she met him.

Chapter 13 of The Black Opal by Katharine Susannah Prichard holds 197 sentences, grouped into 40 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 13 of The Black Opal contain?

Chapter 13 holds 197 sentences of The Black Opal, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of The Black Opal by Katharine Susannah Prichard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 197 sentences, grouped into 40 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 13 of The Black Opal?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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 Opal

Common questions about reading The Black Opal by Katharine Susannah Prichard on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Black Opal?

Yes. All 6229 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36710 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Black Opal is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36710, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Black Opal take to read?

About 519 minutes of reading across 1246 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Black Opal section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 35 chapters of The Black Opal 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 Opal

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Opal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pioneers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Opal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Windlestraws
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Opal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
String
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Opal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.