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The Drums of War
The Drums of War

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Drums of War is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Drums of War
Context Illustration Reading 1/16 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.
He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.
It was a gloomy house, dating from 1572, but the pavilion was the pleasantest place in the world.
It was situated in the woods of the château, woods adjoining the forest of Sénart.
It had six rooms, and was surrounded by a deep moat.
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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.

The Drums of War

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Drums of War is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.
Line 2
He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.
/hiː wɑːz tuː ɡrænd tuː let ɪt soʊ ɪt wɑːz pleɪst ɪn ðə hændz ʌv ə ˈkerteɪkər/
Line 3
It was a gloomy house, dating from 1572, but the pavilion was the pleasantest place in the world.
Line 4
It was situated in the woods of the château, woods adjoining the forest of Sénart.
Line 5
It had six rooms, and was surrounded by a deep moat.
/ɪt hæd sɪks ruːmz ənd wɑːz sərˈaʊndɪd baɪ ə diːp moʊt/

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.

adjoining verb US /əˈdʒɔɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “adjoin” — lie adjacent to another or share a boundary

From this reading “It was situated in the woods of the château, woods adjoining the forest of Sénart.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
caretaker noun US /ˈkerteɪkər/

a custodian who is hired to take care of something (property or a person)

From this reading “He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
château noun US /ʃæˈtoʊ/

A large French country house or castle, often surrounded by expansive estates and private galleries.

From this reading “THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.”

Velmora curated lexicon
dating noun US /ˈdeɪtɪŋ/

use of chemical analysis to estimate the age of geological specimens

From this reading “It was a gloomy house, dating from 1572, but the pavilion was the pleasantest place in the world.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gloomy adjective US /ˈɡluːmi/

depressingly dark

From this reading “It was a gloomy house, dating from 1572, but the pavilion was the pleasantest place in the world.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moat noun US /moʊt/

ditch dug as a fortification and usually filled with water

From this reading “It had six rooms, and was surrounded by a deep moat.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pavilion noun US /pəˈvɪljən/

large and often sumptuous tent

From this reading “THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
situated adjective US /ˈsɪtʃuːeɪtɪd/

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading “It was situated in the woods of the château, woods adjoining the forest of Sénart.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

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

In this reading “It was a gloomy house, dating from 1572, but the pavilion was the pleasantest place in the world.”

107,541 times in 426,211 chapters
in the woods preposition + article + noun counted as “in … woods”

In this reading “It was situated in the woods of the château, woods adjoining the forest of Sénart.”

16,805 times in 426,211 chapters
lived in verb + particle counted as “live in”

live in the house where one works

In this reading “THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.”

64,539 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 47

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.

1572

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

From this reading It was a gloomy house, dating from 1572, but the pavilion was the pleasantest place in the world.

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
adjoiningverbUS /əˈdʒɔɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “adjoin” — lie adjacent to another or share a boundary

From this reading It was situated in the woods of the château, woods adjoining the forest of Sénart.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It had six rooms, and was surrounded by a deep moat.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It was a gloomy house, dating from 1572, but the pavilion was the pleasantest place in the world.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It had six rooms, and was surrounded by a deep moat.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
caretakernounUS /ˈkerteɪkər/

a custodian who is hired to take care of something (property or a person)

From this reading He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
châteaunounUS /ʃæˈtoʊ/

A large French country house or castle, often surrounded by expansive estates and private galleries.

From this reading THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.

Velmora curated lexicon
datingnounUS /ˈdeɪtɪŋ/

use of chemical analysis to estimate the age of geological specimens

From this reading It was a gloomy house, dating from 1572, but the pavilion was the pleasantest place in the world.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading It had six rooms, and was surrounded by a deep moat.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading It was situated in the woods of the château, woods adjoining the forest of Sénart.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It was a gloomy house, dating from 1572, but the pavilion was the pleasantest place in the world.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
gloomyadjectiveUS /ˈɡluːmi/

depressingly dark

From this reading It was a gloomy house, dating from 1572, but the pavilion was the pleasantest place in the world.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
grandadjectiveUS /ɡrænd/

of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope

From this reading He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading It was a gloomy house, dating from 1572, but the pavilion was the pleasantest place in the world.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moatnounUS /moʊt/

ditch dug as a fortification and usually filled with water

From this reading It had six rooms, and was surrounded by a deep moat.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/

possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PAVILIONnounUS /pəˈvɪljən/

large and often sumptuous tent

From this reading THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading It was a gloomy house, dating from 1572, but the pavilion was the pleasantest place in the world.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
placedadjectiveUS /pleɪst/

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pleasantest

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

From this reading It was a gloomy house, dating from 1572, but the pavilion was the pleasantest place in the world.

Pending verification
roomsnounUS /ruːmz/

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading It had six rooms, and was surrounded by a deep moat.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SALUCE

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

From this reading THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.

Pending verification
SinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
situatedadjectiveUS /ˈsɪtʃuːeɪtɪd/

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading It was situated in the woods of the château, woods adjoining the forest of Sénart.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading It had six rooms, and was surrounded by a deep moat.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
surroundedadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪd/

confined on all sides

From this reading It had six rooms, and was surrounded by a deep moat.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sénart

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

From this reading It was situated in the woods of the château, woods adjoining the forest of Sénart.

Pending verification
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE PAVILION OF SALUCE Since my mother's death, my father had not lived in the château.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was too grand to let it, so it was placed in the hands of a caretaker.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
woodsnounUS /wʊdz/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading It was situated in the woods of the château, woods adjoining the forest of Sénart.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading It was a gloomy house, dating from 1572, but the pavilion was the pleasantest place in the world.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 15 of The Drums of War by H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole holds 81 sentences, grouped into 17 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 15 of The Drums of War contain?

Chapter 15 holds 81 sentences of The Drums of War, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Drums of War by H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 81 sentences, grouped into 17 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 15 of The Drums of War?

Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 17 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Drums of War

Common questions about reading The Drums of War by H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Drums of War?

Yes. All 4188 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55148 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Drums of War is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55148, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Drums of War take to read?

About 349 minutes of reading across 838 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Drums of War section by section

How to work through The Drums of War section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Drums of War to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in The Drums of War

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Drums of War, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Https
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Drums of War; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Books
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Drums of War; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Google
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Drums of War; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Zjgnaaaamaaj
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Drums of War; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.