The Cock and Anchor

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of The Cock and Anchor is here in full — 193 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu • Curated US English Learning Edition

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THE PRESS IN THE WALL.

Larry Toole, having visited in vain all his master's usual haunts, returned in the evening of that day on which we last beheld him, to the "Cock and Anchor," in a state of extreme depression and desolateness.

"By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

I'm fairly burstin' with emotions.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter XXVIII Reading 1/38

The Cock and Anchor Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of The Cock and Anchor is here in full — 193 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE PRESS IN THE WALL. Larry Toole, having visited in vain all his master's usual haunts, returned in the evening of that day on which we last beheld him, to the "Cock and Anchor," in a state of extreme depression and desolateness. "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle. It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad. I'm fairly burstin' with emotions.

The Cock and Anchor

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of The Cock and Anchor is here in full — 193 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/38 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE PRESS IN THE WALL.

/ðə pres ɪn ðə wɔːl/

Line 2

Line 3

"By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

Line 4

It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

Line 5

I'm fairly burstin' with emotions.

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.

Cock verb US /kɑːk/

tilt or slant to one side

From this reading “Larry Toole, having visited in vain all his master's usual haunts, returned in the evening of that day on which we last beheld him, to the "Cock and Anchor," in a state of extreme depression and desolateness.”

depression noun US /dɪˈpreʃən/

a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity

encountered verb US /ɪnˈkaʊntərd/

past form of “encounter” — come together

From this reading “"By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.”

groom verb US /ɡruːm/

educate for a future role or function

From this reading “"By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.”

haunts noun US /hɔːnts/

plural of “haunt” — a frequently visited place

inquiries noun US /ˌɪnˈkwaɪəriz/

plural of “inquiry” — a search for knowledge

From this reading “"By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.”

master's noun US /ˈmæstərz/

possessive form of “master” — an artist of consummate skill

rummage verb US /ˈrʌmɪdʒ/

search haphazardly

From this reading “It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.”

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.

yard gate noun + noun

In this reading “"By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.”

holy man adjective + noun

person of exceptional holiness

In this reading “"By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.”

with emotions preposition + noun counted as “with emotion”

In this reading “I'm fairly burstin' with emotions.”

in the evening preposition + article + noun counted as “in … evening”

In this reading “Larry Toole, having visited in vain all his master's usual haunts, returned in the evening of that day on which we last beheld him, to the "Cock and Anchor," in a state of extreme depression and desolateness.”

in a state preposition + article + noun counted as “in … state”

All words in this reading · 73

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 Larry Toole, having visited in vain all his master's usual haunts, returned in the evening of that day on which we last beheld him, to the "Cock and Anchor," in a state of extreme depression and desolateness.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

AnchornounUS /ˈæŋkər/

a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

beheldverbUS /biˈheld/

inflected form of “behold” — see with attention

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

burstin

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

From this reading I'm fairly burstin' with emotions.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

clane

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

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

CockverbUS /kɑːk/

tilt or slant to one side

dacent

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

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

depressionnounUS /dɪˈpreʃən/

a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity

desolateness

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

divil

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

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

emotionsnounUS /ɪˈmoʊʃənz/

plural of “emotion” — any strong feeling

From this reading I'm fairly burstin' with emotions.

encounteredverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntərd/

past form of “encounter” — come together

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

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

extremeadjectiveUS /ekˈstriːm/

of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity

fairlyadverbUS /ˈferli/

to certain extent or degree

From this reading I'm fairly burstin' with emotions.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

gatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

groomverbUS /ɡruːm/

educate for a future role or function

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

hauntsnounUS /hɔːnts/

plural of “haunt” — a frequently visited place

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

he's

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

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

holynounUS /ˈhoʊli/

a sacred place of pilgrimage

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

I'm

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

From this reading I'm fairly burstin' with emotions.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE PRESS IN THE WALL.

inquiriesnounUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪəriz/

plural of “inquiry” — a search for knowledge

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

It's

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

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

Larry

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

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

laves

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

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

master'snounUS /ˈmæstərz/

possessive form of “master” — an artist of consummate skill

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

PRESSverbUS /pres/

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading THE PRESS IN THE WALL.

replynounUS /rɪˈplaɪ/

a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

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

rummageverbUS /ˈrʌmɪdʒ/

search haphazardly

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

signnounUS /saɪn/

a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

statenounUS /steɪt/

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

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 PRESS IN THE WALL.

thratement

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

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

Toole

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

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading It's dacent thratement, so it is--gone, and laves me behind to rummage the town for him, and divil a sign of him, good or bad.

usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

vainadjectiveUS /veɪn/

characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

visitedverbUS /ˈvɪzɪtɪd/

past form of “visit” — go to see a place, as for entertainment

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

From this reading THE PRESS IN THE WALL.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

whistleverbUS /ˈwɪsəl/

make whistling sounds

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I'm fairly burstin' with emotions.

yardnounUS /jɑːrd/

a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading "By the holy man," said Larry, in reply to the inquiries of the groom, who encountered him at the yard gate, "he's gone as clane as a whistle.

Chapter 28 of The Cock and Anchor by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu holds 193 sentences, grouped into 39 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 28 of The Cock and Anchor contain?

Chapter 28 holds 193 sentences of The Cock and Anchor, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of The Cock and Anchor by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 193 sentences, grouped into 39 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 28 of The Cock and Anchor?

Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 39 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 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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 Cock and Anchor

Common questions about reading The Cock and Anchor by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Cock and Anchor?

Yes. All 5733 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40126 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Cock and Anchor is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40126, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Cock and Anchor take to read?

About 477 minutes of reading across 1147 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Cock and Anchor section by section

How to work through The Cock and Anchor section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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Vocabulary met early in The Cock and Anchor

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Cock and Anchor, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Downey: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cock and Anchor; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Covent: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cock and Anchor; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Garden: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cock and Anchor; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Anchor: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cock and Anchor; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXVIII

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