Chapter 8 of The caravaners is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The caravaners is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A man who is writing a book should have a free hand. When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now. No longer is Edelgard allowed to look over my shoulder. No longer are the sheets left lying open on my desk. I put Edelgard off with the promise that she shall hear it when it is done.
Chapter 8 of The caravaners is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading “No longer is Edelgard allowed to look over my shoulder.”
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading “No longer are the sheets left lying open on my desk.”
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading “When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now.”
make a promise or commitment
From this reading “I put Edelgard off with the promise that she shall hear it when it is done.”
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading “When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now.”
plural of “sheet” — any broad thin expanse or surface
From this reading “No longer are the sheets left lying open on my desk.”
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading “No longer is Edelgard allowed to look over my shoulder.”
the act of creating written works
From this reading “A man who is writing a book should have a free hand.”
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.
In this reading “When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now.”
freedom to do as you see fit
In this reading “A man who is writing a book should have a free hand.”
In this reading “No longer is Edelgard allowed to look over my shoulder.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A man who is writing a book should have a free hand.
past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading No longer is Edelgard allowed to look over my shoulder.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading No longer are the sheets left lying open on my desk.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading A man who is writing a book should have a free hand.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading No longer are the sheets left lying open on my desk.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading I put Edelgard off with the promise that she shall hear it when it is done.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No longer is Edelgard allowed to look over my shoulder.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading A man who is writing a book should have a free hand.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading A man who is writing a book should have a free hand.
only a very short time before
From this reading When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading A man who is writing a book should have a free hand.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading I put Edelgard off with the promise that she shall hear it when it is done.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A man who is writing a book should have a free hand.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I put Edelgard off with the promise that she shall hear it when it is done.
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 No longer are the sheets left lying open on my desk.
for more time
From this reading No longer is Edelgard allowed to look over my shoulder.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading No longer is Edelgard allowed to look over my shoulder.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading No longer are the sheets left lying open on my desk.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A man who is writing a book should have a free hand.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now.
not any; not one
From this reading No longer is Edelgard allowed to look over my shoulder.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading I put Edelgard off with the promise that she shall hear it when it is done.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading No longer are the sheets left lying open on my desk.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading No longer are the sheets left lying open on my desk.
above and across; more than
From this reading No longer is Edelgard allowed to look over my shoulder.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading I put Edelgard off with the promise that she shall hear it when it is done.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I put Edelgard off with the promise that she shall hear it when it is done.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading I put Edelgard off with the promise that she shall hear it when it is done.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I put Edelgard off with the promise that she shall hear it when it is done.
plural of “sheet” — any broad thin expanse or surface
From this reading No longer are the sheets left lying open on my desk.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading A man who is writing a book should have a free hand.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading No longer is Edelgard allowed to look over my shoulder.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I put Edelgard off with the promise that she shall hear it when it is done.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading No longer are the sheets left lying open on my desk.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading No longer is Edelgard allowed to look over my shoulder.
at the time that
From this reading When I began my narrative I hardly realized this, but I do now.
which person or people
From this reading A man who is writing a book should have a free hand.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I put Edelgard off with the promise that she shall hear it when it is done.
the act of creating written works
From this reading A man who is writing a book should have a free hand.
Chapter 8 of The caravaners by Elizabeth Von Arnim holds 129 sentences, grouped into 26 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 8 holds 129 sentences of The caravaners, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The caravaners by Elizabeth Von Arnim exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 129 sentences, grouped into 26 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 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.
Common questions about reading The caravaners by Elizabeth Von Arnim on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The caravaners section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The caravaners to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The caravaners, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
