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The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh
The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
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XVI.
HOW HEDZOFF RODE BACK AGAIN TO KING GIGLIO.
Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.
Of course he was very sorry for Rosalba, but what could he do?
So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
XVI.
Line 2
HOW HEDZOFF RODE BACK AGAIN TO KING GIGLIO.
Line 3
Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.
Line 4
Of course he was very sorry for Rosalba, but what could he do?
Line 5
So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

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.

cigars noun US /sɪˈɡɑːrz/

plural of “cigar” — a roll of tobacco for smoking

From this reading “So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.”

delivering verb US /dɪˈlɪvərɪŋ/

-ing form of “deliver” — deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)

From this reading “Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.”

disturbed adjective US /dɪˈstɜːrbd/

having the place or position changed

From this reading “So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.”

entrusted verb US /enˈtrʌstɪd/

past form of “entrust” — confer a trust upon

From this reading “Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.”

message noun US /ˈmesədʒ/

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

From this reading “Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.”

monarch noun US /ˈmɑːnɑːrk/

a nation's ruler or head of state usually by hereditary right

From this reading “So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.”

smoking noun US /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading “So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.”

tent noun US /tent/

a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading “So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.”

All words in this reading · 59

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 So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

AGAINadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading HOW HEDZOFF RODE BACK AGAIN TO KING GIGLIO.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

BACKadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading HOW HEDZOFF RODE BACK AGAIN TO KING GIGLIO.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Of course he was very sorry for Rosalba, but what could he do?

campnounUS /kæmp/

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

CaptainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

cigarsnounUS /sɪˈɡɑːrz/

plural of “cigar” — a roll of tobacco for smoking

From this reading So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

commandnounUS /kəˈmænd/

an authoritative direction or instruction to do something

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Of course he was very sorry for Rosalba, but what could he do?

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Of course he was very sorry for Rosalba, but what could he do?

crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/

(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

deliveringverbUS /dɪˈlɪvərɪŋ/

-ing form of “deliver” — deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

disturbedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɜːrbd/

having the place or position changed

From this reading So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Of course he was very sorry for Rosalba, but what could he do?

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

dutynounUS /ˈduːti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

entrustedverbUS /enˈtrʌstɪd/

past form of “entrust” — confer a trust upon

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Of course he was very sorry for Rosalba, but what could he do?

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

GIGLIO

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

From this reading HOW HEDZOFF RODE BACK AGAIN TO KING GIGLIO.

Giglio's

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

From this reading So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Of course he was very sorry for Rosalba, but what could he do?

HEDZOFF

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

From this reading HOW HEDZOFF RODE BACK AGAIN TO KING GIGLIO.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

HOW

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

From this reading HOW HEDZOFF RODE BACK AGAIN TO KING GIGLIO.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

KINGnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading HOW HEDZOFF RODE BACK AGAIN TO KING GIGLIO.

masternounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

messagenounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

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

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

monarchnounUS /ˈmɑːnɑːrk/

a nation's ruler or head of state usually by hereditary right

From this reading So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Of course he was very sorry for Rosalba, but what could he do?

Padella

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

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

RODEverbUS /roʊd/

inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading HOW HEDZOFF RODE BACK AGAIN TO KING GIGLIO.

Rosalba

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

From this reading Of course he was very sorry for Rosalba, but what could he do?

royaladjectiveUS /ˈrɔɪəl/

of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

smokingnounUS /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading Of course he was very sorry for Rosalba, but what could he do?

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

tentnounUS /tent/

a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading HOW HEDZOFF RODE BACK AGAIN TO KING GIGLIO.

utteredadjectiveUS /ˈʌtərd/

communicated in words

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Of course he was very sorry for Rosalba, but what could he do?

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Of course he was very sorry for Rosalba, but what could he do?

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Of course he was very sorry for Rosalba, but what could he do?

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Captain Hedzoff rode away when King Padella uttered this cruel command, having done his duty in delivering the message with which his royal master had entrusted him.

XVInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of fifteen and one

From this reading XVI.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

From this reading So he returned to King Giglio's camp, and found the young monarch in a disturbed state of mind, smoking cigars in the royal tent.

Chapter 23 of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh by William Makepeace Thackeray holds 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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 23 of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh contain?

Chapter 23 holds 152 sentences of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh by William Makepeace Thackeray exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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 Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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.

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Common questions about reading The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh by William Makepeace Thackeray on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 3765 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2731 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2731, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 313 minutes of reading across 753 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh section by section

How to work through The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Street
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Birch
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Young
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Friends
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.