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The Boy with Wings
The Boy with Wings

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The Boy with Wings is here in full — 94 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Boy with Wings
Context Illustration Reading 1/18 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.
The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.
Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.
And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:
"_Away till Monday.
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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 Boy with Wings

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The Boy with Wings is here in full — 94 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.
Line 2
The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.
Line 3
Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.
Line 4
And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:
Line 5
"_Away till Monday.
/əˈweɪ tɪl ˈmʌndi/

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.

Aircraft noun US /ˈerkræft/

a vehicle that can fly

From this reading “And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:”

Airman noun US /ˈermən/

someone who operates an aircraft

From this reading “Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.”

Aviation noun US /ˌeɪviˈeɪʃən/

the aggregation of a country's military aircraft

From this reading “The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.”

bargained verb US /ˈbɑːrɡənd/

past form of “bargain” — negotiate the terms of an exchange

From this reading “THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.”

eventful adjective US /ɪˈventfəl/

full of events or incidents

From this reading “Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.”

lover's noun US /ˈlʌvərz/

possessive form of “lover” — a person who loves someone or is loved by someone

From this reading “And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:”

summons noun US /ˈsʌmənz/

a request to be present

From this reading “Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.”

weighed verb US /weɪd/

past form of “weigh” — have a certain weight

From this reading “The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.”

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.

other things adjective + noun

In this reading “THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.”

come up verb + adjective

bring forth, usually something desirable

In this reading “And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:”

Great War adjective + noun

a war between the allies (Russia, France, British Empire, Italy, United States, Japan, Rumania, Serbia, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, Montenegro) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria) from 1914 to 1918

In this reading “The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.”

All words in this reading · 77

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 Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

AircraftnounUS /ˈerkræft/

a vehicle that can fly

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

AirmannounUS /ˈermən/

someone who operates an aircraft

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

apartadverbUS /əˈpɑːrt/

separated or at a distance in place or position or time

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

AviationnounUS /ˌeɪviˈeɪʃən/

the aggregation of a country's military aircraft

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

AwayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading "_Away till Monday.

bargainedverbUS /ˈbɑːrɡənd/

past form of “bargain” — negotiate the terms of an exchange

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

ClubnounUS /klʌb/

a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

ColonelnounUS /ˈkɜːrnəl/

a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

Conyers

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

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

Dampier

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

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

DinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

eventfuladjectiveUS /ɪˈventfəl/

full of events or incidents

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

FridaynounUS /ˈfraɪdi/

the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

GreatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

Gwenna

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

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

Hampstead

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

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

LateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

lover'snounUS /ˈlʌvərz/

possessive form of “lover” — a person who loves someone or is loved by someone

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

loversnounUS /ˈlʌvərz/

plural of “lover” — a person who loves someone or is loved by someone

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

messagenounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

MondaynounUS /ˈmʌndi/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading "_Away till Monday.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

not-to-be-forgotten

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

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

PaulnounUS /pɔːl/

United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

playverbUS /pleɪ/

participate in games or sport

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

SaturdaynounUS /ˈsætərdi/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

summonsnounUS /ˈsʌmənz/

a request to be present

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

THATconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading "_Away till Monday.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

uncertainadjectiveUS /ənˈsɜːrtən/

lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

WarnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Late on the Friday night of an eventful week, Paul Dampier, the Airman, had received a summons from Colonel Conyers.

WEEK-END

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

From this reading THAT WEEK-END For the following week-end saw, among many other things that had not been bargained for, those lovers apart again.

weighedverbUS /weɪd/

past form of “weigh” — have a certain weight

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The very next Saturday after that Aviation Dinner was that not-to-be-forgotten day in England, when this country, still uncertain, weighed the part that she was to play in the Great War.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

WorksnounUS /wɜːrks/

buildings for carrying on industrial labor

From this reading And Gwenna, who had left the Aircraft Works on Saturday morning to come up to her Hampstead Club, found there her lover's message:

Chapter 23 of The Boy with Wings by Berta Ruck holds 94 sentences, grouped into 19 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 23 of The Boy with Wings contain?

Chapter 23 holds 94 sentences of The Boy with Wings, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The Boy with Wings by Berta Ruck exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 94 sentences, grouped into 19 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 23 of The Boy with Wings?

Work through the 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 19 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 Boy with Wings

Common questions about reading The Boy with Wings by Berta Ruck on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Boy with Wings?

Yes. All 6451 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36223 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Boy with Wings is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36223, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Boy with Wings take to read?

About 537 minutes of reading across 1291 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Boy with Wings section by section

How to work through The Boy with Wings section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Boy with Wings 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 Boy with Wings

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Boy with Wings, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Official
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy with Wings; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fiancee
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy with Wings; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wooing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy with Wings; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rosamond
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boy with Wings; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.