The Chestermarke Instinct

Chapter XXIX

Chapter 29 of The Chestermarke Instinct is here in full — 157 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher • Curated US English Learning Edition

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THE SPARROWS AND THE SPHERE Neale was instantly awake and on the alert.

He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

A slight current of cold air struck him as he rose--looking in the direction from which it seemed to come, he saw that one of the circular windows in the high wall above him was open, and that a fresh north-east wind was blowing the curtain aside.

The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

He pulled out his watch, which he had been careful to wind up before lying down.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXIX Reading 1/31

The Chestermarke Instinct J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher

Chapter XXIX

Chapter 29 of The Chestermarke Instinct is here in full — 157 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE SPARROWS AND THE SPHERE Neale was instantly awake and on the alert. He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down. A slight current of cold air struck him as he rose--looking in the direction from which it seemed to come, he saw that one of the circular windows in the high wall above him was open, and that a fresh north-east wind was blowing the curtain aside. The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits. He pulled out his watch, which he had been careful to wind up before lying down.

The Chestermarke Instinct

Chapter XXIX

Chapter 29 of The Chestermarke Instinct is here in full — 157 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE SPARROWS AND THE SPHERE Neale was instantly awake and on the alert.

Line 2

He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

/hiː spræŋ tuː hɪz fiːt ˈʃɪvərɪŋ ə ˈlɪtəl ɪn spaɪt ʌv ðə rʌɡz wɪtʃ hiː hæd ræpt əˈbaʊt hɪm bɪˈfɔːr ˈsetəlɪŋ daʊn/

Line 3

Line 4

The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

/ðə ˈlæbrətɔːri hɑːt ənd kloʊs ɪˈnʌf wen hiː hæd ˈentərd ɪt ðə ˈpriːviəs ˈiːvnɪŋ wɑːz naʊ kuːl ðə ˈmɔːrnɪŋ briːz ˈfreʃənd ənd ˈʃɑːrpənd hɪz wɪts/

Line 5

He pulled out his watch, which he had been careful to wind up before lying down.

/hiː pʊld aʊt hɪz wɑːtʃ wɪtʃ hiː hæd bɪn ˈkerfəl tuː waɪnd ʌp bɪˈfɔːr ˈlaɪɪŋ daʊn/

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.

circular adjective US /ˈsɜːrkjələr/

having the shape or form of a circle

From this reading “A slight current of cold air struck him as he rose--looking in the direction from which it seemed to come, he saw that one of the circular windows in the high wall above him was open, and that a fresh north-east wind was blowing the curtain aside.”

freshened verb US /ˈfreʃənd/

past form of “freshen” — make (to feel) fresh

From this reading “The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.”

laboratory noun US /ˈlæbrətɔːri/

a workplace for the conduct of scientific research

From this reading “The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.”

north-east adverb US /ˌnɔːrˈθiːst/

to, toward, or in the northeast

rugs noun US /rʌɡz/

plural of “rug” — floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)

From this reading “He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.”

settling noun US /ˈsetəlɪŋ/

a gradual sinking to a lower level

From this reading “He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.”

sharpened adjective US /ˈʃɑːrpənd/

having the point made sharp

From this reading “The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.”

sparrows noun US /ˈsperoʊz/

plural of “sparrow” — any of several small dull-colored singing birds feeding on seeds or insects

From this reading “THE SPARROWS AND THE SPHERE Neale was instantly awake and on the alert.”

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.

previous evening adjective + noun

In this reading “The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.”

in spite preposition + noun

In this reading “He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.”

pulled out verb + adjective counted as “pull out”

move out or away

In this reading “He pulled out his watch, which he had been careful to wind up before lying down.”

morning breeze noun + noun

In this reading “The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.”

high wall adjective + noun

In this reading “A slight current of cold air struck him as he rose--looking in the direction from which it seemed to come, he saw that one of the circular windows in the high wall above him was open, and that a fresh north-east wind was blowing the curtain aside.”

cold air adjective + noun

close enough adjective + noun

In this reading “The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.”

before settling preposition + noun

In this reading “He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.”

All words in this reading · 80

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 He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading A slight current of cold air struck him as he rose--looking in the direction from which it seemed to come, he saw that one of the circular windows in the high wall above him was open, and that a fresh north-east wind was blowing the curtain aside.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/

engaged in or accustomed to close observation

From this reading THE SPARROWS AND THE SPHERE Neale was instantly awake and on the alert.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE SPARROWS AND THE SPHERE Neale was instantly awake and on the alert.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

asideadverbUS /əˈsaɪd/

on or to one side

awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/

not in a state of sleep; completely conscious

From this reading THE SPARROWS AND THE SPHERE Neale was instantly awake and on the alert.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He pulled out his watch, which he had been careful to wind up before lying down.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

blowingnounUS /ˈbloʊɪŋ/

processing that involves blowing a gas

breezenounUS /briːz/

a slight wind (usually refreshing)

From this reading The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

carefuladjectiveUS /ˈkerfəl/

exercising caution or showing care or attention

From this reading He pulled out his watch, which he had been careful to wind up before lying down.

circularadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrkjələr/

having the shape or form of a circle

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

cooladjectiveUS /kuːl/

neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

From this reading The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

currentnounUS /ˈkɜːrənt/

a flow of electricity through a conductor

curtainnounUS /ˈkɜːrtən/

hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)

directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/

a line leading to a place or point

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

freshenedverbUS /ˈfreʃənd/

past form of “freshen” — make (to feel) fresh

From this reading The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

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 The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

instantlyadverbUS /ˈɪnstəntli/

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading THE SPARROWS AND THE SPHERE Neale was instantly awake and on the alert.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

laboratorynounUS /ˈlæbrətɔːri/

a workplace for the conduct of scientific research

From this reading The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

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

lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading He pulled out his watch, which he had been careful to wind up before lying down.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

Neale

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

From this reading THE SPARROWS AND THE SPHERE Neale was instantly awake and on the alert.

north-eastadverbUS /ˌnɔːrˈθiːst/

to, toward, or in the northeast

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE SPARROWS AND THE SPHERE Neale was instantly awake and on the alert.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading He pulled out his watch, which he had been careful to wind up before lying down.

previousadjectiveUS /ˈpriːviəs/

just preceding something else in time or order

From this reading The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

pulledverbUS /pʊld/

past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling

From this reading He pulled out his watch, which he had been careful to wind up before lying down.

rosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

rugsnounUS /rʌɡz/

plural of “rug” — floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

settlingnounUS /ˈsetəlɪŋ/

a gradual sinking to a lower level

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

sharpenedadjectiveUS /ˈʃɑːrpənd/

having the point made sharp

From this reading The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

shiveringnounUS /ˈʃɪvərɪŋ/

a sensation of cold that often marks the start of an infection and the development of a fever

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

slightnounUS /slaɪt/

a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)

SPARROWSnounUS /ˈsperoʊz/

plural of “sparrow” — any of several small dull-colored singing birds feeding on seeds or insects

From this reading THE SPARROWS AND THE SPHERE Neale was instantly awake and on the alert.

SPHEREnounUS /sfɪr/

a particular environment or walk of life

From this reading THE SPARROWS AND THE SPHERE Neale was instantly awake and on the alert.

spitenounUS /spaɪt/

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

sprangverbUS /spræŋ/

inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

struckadjectiveUS /strʌk/

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE SPARROWS AND THE SPHERE Neale was instantly awake and on the alert.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading He pulled out his watch, which he had been careful to wind up before lying down.

wallnounUS /wɔːl/

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE SPARROWS AND THE SPHERE Neale was instantly awake and on the alert.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading He pulled out his watch, which he had been careful to wind up before lying down.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

witsnounUS /wɪts/

the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception

From this reading The laboratory, hot and close enough when he had entered it the previous evening, was now cool; the morning breeze freshened and sharpened his wits.

wrappedadjectiveUS /ræpt/

covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak

From this reading He sprang to his feet, shivering a little in spite of the rugs which he had wrapped about him before settling down.

Chapter 29 of The Chestermarke Instinct by J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher holds 157 sentences, grouped into 32 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 29 of The Chestermarke Instinct contain?

Chapter 29 holds 157 sentences of The Chestermarke Instinct, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 29 of The Chestermarke Instinct by J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 157 sentences, grouped into 32 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 29 of The Chestermarke Instinct?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 29 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #27965, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 416 minutes of reading across 1000 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter XXIX

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