used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
aforesaidadjectiveUS /əˈfɔːrsed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading The novel never has anything to do with the aforesaid new and romantic surroundings; neither has it the faintest connection with anything the author has ever seen.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
any thing at all
From this reading The novel never has anything to do with the aforesaid new and romantic surroundings; neither has it the faintest connection with anything the author has ever seen.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He did his scribbling with a fountain pen, on typewriter paper, and left a broad right-hand margin, just as he had seen Brooks do.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading The novel never has anything to do with the aforesaid new and romantic surroundings; neither has it the faintest connection with anything the author has ever seen.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
plural of “begin” — Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
BenningtonnounUS /ˈbenɪŋtən/
a town in southwestern Vermont
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading He did his scribbling with a fountain pen, on typewriter paper, and left a broad right-hand margin, just as he had seen Brooks do.
BrooksnounUS /brʊks/
United States literary critic and historian (1886-1963)
From this reading He did his scribbling with a fountain pen, on typewriter paper, and left a broad right-hand margin, just as he had seen Brooks do.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
the body of faculty and students of a college
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)
From this reading The novel never has anything to do with the aforesaid new and romantic surroundings; neither has it the faintest connection with anything the author has ever seen.
travel across or pass over
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did his scribbling with a fountain pen, on typewriter paper, and left a broad right-hand margin, just as he had seen Brooks do.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading The novel never has anything to do with the aforesaid new and romantic surroundings; neither has it the faintest connection with anything the author has ever seen.
at any time
From this reading The novel never has anything to do with the aforesaid new and romantic surroundings; neither has it the faintest connection with anything the author has ever seen.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
faintestadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪntəst/
superlative of “faint” — deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading The novel never has anything to do with the aforesaid new and romantic surroundings; neither has it the faintest connection with anything the author has ever seen.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
fountainnounUS /ˈfaʊntən/
a structure from which an artificially produced jet of water arises
From this reading He did his scribbling with a fountain pen, on typewriter paper, and left a broad right-hand margin, just as he had seen Brooks do.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
something acquired without compensation
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
graduatesnounUS /ˈɡrædʒəwəts/
plural of “graduate” — a person who has received a degree from a school (high school or college or university)
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading That would limit his imagination.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses
From this reading That would limit his imagination.
impressionsnounUS /ˌɪmˈpreʃənz/
plural of “impression” — a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The novel never has anything to do with the aforesaid new and romantic surroundings; neither has it the faintest connection with anything the author has ever seen.
and nothing more
From this reading He did his scribbling with a fountain pen, on typewriter paper, and left a broad right-hand margin, just as he had seen Brooks do.
LaneynounUS /ˈleɪni/
United States educator who founded the first private school for Black students in Augusta, Georgia (1854-1933)
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
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 He did his scribbling with a fountain pen, on typewriter paper, and left a broad right-hand margin, just as he had seen Brooks do.
limitnounUS /ˈlɪmət/
the greatest possible degree of something
From this reading That would limit his imagination.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
marginnounUS /ˈmɑːrdʒən/
the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary
From this reading He did his scribbling with a fountain pen, on typewriter paper, and left a broad right-hand margin, just as he had seen Brooks do.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading The novel never has anything to do with the aforesaid new and romantic surroundings; neither has it the faintest connection with anything the author has ever seen.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading The novel never has anything to do with the aforesaid new and romantic surroundings; neither has it the faintest connection with anything the author has ever seen.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
not any; not one
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
novelnounUS /ˈnɑːvəl/
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He did his scribbling with a fountain pen, on typewriter paper, and left a broad right-hand margin, just as he had seen Brooks do.
on one occasion
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
orbitsnounUS /ˈɔːrbəts/
plural of “orbit” — the (usually elliptical) path described by one celestial body in its revolution about another
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading He did his scribbling with a fountain pen, on typewriter paper, and left a broad right-hand margin, just as he had seen Brooks do.
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading He did his scribbling with a fountain pen, on typewriter paper, and left a broad right-hand margin, just as he had seen Brooks do.
possessesverbUS /pəˈzesəz/
third-person singular of “possess” — have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
regularlyadverbUS /ˈreɡjələrli/
in a regular manner
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
right-handadjectiveUS /raɪtˈhænd/
located on or directed toward the right
From this reading He did his scribbling with a fountain pen, on typewriter paper, and left a broad right-hand margin, just as he had seen Brooks do.
romanticadjectiveUS /roʊˈmæntɪk/
belonging to or characteristic of Romanticism or the Romantic Movement in the arts
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
roomed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
scribblingverbUS /ˈskrɪbəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “scribble” — write down quickly without much attention to detail
From this reading He did his scribbling with a fountain pen, on typewriter paper, and left a broad right-hand margin, just as he had seen Brooks do.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The novel never has anything to do with the aforesaid new and romantic surroundings; neither has it the faintest connection with anything the author has ever seen.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
splendournoun
a quality that outshines the usual
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
STORY-BOOK
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
surroundingsnounUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋz/
the environmental condition
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That would limit his imagination.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
twenty-onenounUS /ˈtwentiwɔːn/
the cardinal number that is the sum of twenty and one
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
typewriternounUS /ˈtaɪpraɪtər/
hand-operated character printer for printing written messages one character at a time
From this reading He did his scribbling with a fountain pen, on typewriter paper, and left a broad right-hand margin, just as he had seen Brooks do.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
at the time that
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
in or at the place that
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The novel never has anything to do with the aforesaid new and romantic surroundings; neither has it the faintest connection with anything the author has ever seen.
the words that are spoken
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading Once he was well settled in his new home, and the first excitement of novel impressions had worn off, Bennington de Laney began to write regularly three hours a day.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading That would limit his imagination.
produce a literary work
From this reading THE STORY-BOOK WEST When a man is twenty-one, and has had no experience, and graduates from a small college where he roomed alone in splendour, and possesses a gift of words and a certain delight in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings--when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel.
