Chapter 18 of The Firing Line is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of The Firing Line is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation. Instead he said: "Are you really sleepy?" "No." "Then--" "I dare not--to-night." "For any particular reason?"
Chapter 18 of The Firing Line is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/76 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading “PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.”
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading “"For any particular reason?"”
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading “PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.”
-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position
From this reading “PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.”
the state of lacking unity
From this reading “PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.”
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading “PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.”
ready to fall asleep
From this reading “Instead he said: "Are you really sleepy?"”
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading “PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.”
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.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "For any particular reason?"
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Instead he said: "Are you really sleepy?"
showing who or what does the action
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading "Then--" "I dare not--to-night."
the boundary of a surface
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Instead he said: "Are you really sleepy?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Then--" "I dare not--to-night."
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading Instead he said: "Are you really sleepy?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
lighted by a lamp
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
not any; not one
From this reading "No."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Then--" "I dare not--to-night."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading "For any particular reason?"
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading Instead he said: "Are you really sleepy?"
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading "For any particular reason?"
-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Instead he said: "Are you really sleepy?"
the state of lacking unity
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
ready to fall asleep
From this reading Instead he said: "Are you really sleepy?"
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
having a supporting base
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Then--" "I dare not--to-night."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Then--" "I dare not--to-night."
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading PERIL Shelia, standing by the lamplit table and resting one slim hand on the edge of it, waited for Hamil to give the signal for separation.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Instead he said: "Are you really sleepy?"
Chapter 18 of The Firing Line by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers holds 384 sentences, grouped into 77 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.
Chapter 18 holds 384 sentences of The Firing Line, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of The Firing Line by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 384 sentences, grouped into 77 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.
Work through the 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 77 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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.
Common questions about reading The Firing Line by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8336 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15654 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #15654, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1668 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Firing Line section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of The Firing Line to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Firing Line, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
