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The Forsyte saga, Volume 2
The Forsyte saga, Volume 2

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Forsyte saga, Volume 2
Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.
He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.
Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.
Lumbago!” he thought; that’s what love ends in at my time of life!”
And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.
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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 Forsyte saga, Volume 2

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.
Line 2
He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.
Line 3
Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.
/ˈkʌmɪŋ tuː ðə lɔːɡ siːt ˈfæʃənd aʊt ʌv æn oʊld ˈfɑːlən trʌŋk hiː sæt daʊn fɜːrst ˈleɪɪŋ hɪz ˈoʊvərkoʊt ɑːn ɪt/
Line 4
Lumbago!” he thought; “that’s what love ends in at my time of life!”
Line 5
And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

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.

beforehand adjective US /bɪˈfɔːrhænd/

being ahead of time or need

From this reading “He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.”

Calais noun US /kəˈleɪ/

a town in northern France on the Strait of Dover that serves as a ferry port to England

From this reading “Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.”

domain noun US /doʊˈmeɪn/

a particular environment or walk of life

From this reading “He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.”

fashioned adjective US /ˈfæʃənd/

planned and made or fashioned artistically

From this reading “Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.”

log verb US /lɔːɡ/

enter into a log, as on ships and planes

From this reading “Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.”

Lumbago noun US /ləmˈbeɪɡoʊ/

backache affecting the lumbar region or lower back; can be caused by muscle strain or arthritis or vascular insufficiency or a ruptured intervertebral disc

From this reading ““Lumbago!” he thought; “that’s what love ends in at my time of life!””

overcoat noun US /ˈoʊvərkoʊt/

a heavy coat worn over clothes in winter

From this reading “Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.”

rambling adjective US /ˈræmblɪŋ/

spreading out in different directions or distributed irregularly

From this reading “And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.”

All words in this reading · 77

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 And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

beforehandadjectiveUS /bɪˈfɔːrhænd/

being ahead of time or need

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

CalaisnounUS /kəˈleɪ/

a town in northern France on the Strait of Dover that serves as a ferry port to England

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

ComingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

coppicenoun

a dense growth of bushes

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

crossedadjectiveUS /krɔːst/

placed crosswise

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

domainnounUS /doʊˈmeɪn/

a particular environment or walk of life

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

eatverbUS /iːt/

take in solid food

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

endsnounUS /endz/

plural of “end” — either extremity of something that has length

From this reading “Lumbago!” he thought; “that’s what love ends in at my time of life!”

enteringnounUS /ˈentərɪŋ/

a movement into or inward

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

fashionedadjectiveUS /ˈfæʃənd/

planned and made or fashioned artistically

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

Fontainebleau

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

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

gatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

HillnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “Lumbago!” he thought; “that’s what love ends in at my time of life!”

Irene

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

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

Jolyon

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

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

layingnounUS /ˈleɪɪŋ/

the production of eggs (especially in birds)

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading “Lumbago!” he thought; “that’s what love ends in at my time of life!”

logverbUS /lɔːɡ/

enter into a log, as on ships and planes

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading “Lumbago!” he thought; “that’s what love ends in at my time of life!”

LumbagonounUS /ləmˈbeɪɡoʊ/

backache affecting the lumbar region or lower back; can be caused by muscle strain or arthritis or vascular insufficiency or a ruptured intervertebral disc

From this reading “Lumbago!” he thought; “that’s what love ends in at my time of life!”

lunchverbUS /lʌntʃ/

take the midday meal

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “Lumbago!” he thought; “that’s what love ends in at my time of life!”

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

overcoatnounUS /ˈoʊvərkoʊt/

a heavy coat worn over clothes in winter

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

ramblingadjectiveUS /ˈræmblɪŋ/

spreading out in different directions or distributed irregularly

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

RobinnounUS /ˈrɑːbən/

small Old World songbird with a reddish breast

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

seatnounUS /siːt/

a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

SundaynounUS /ˈsʌndeɪ/

first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

that's

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

From this reading “Lumbago!” he thought; “that’s what love ends in at my time of life!”

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading “Lumbago!” he thought; “that’s what love ends in at my time of life!”

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading “Lumbago!” he thought; “that’s what love ends in at my time of life!”

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

trunknounUS /trʌŋk/

the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber

From this reading Coming to the log seat fashioned out of an old fallen trunk, he sat down, first laying his overcoat on it.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “Lumbago!” he thought; “that’s what love ends in at my time of life!”

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading And suddenly Irene seemed very near, just as she had been that day of rambling at Fontainebleau when they had sat on a log to eat their lunch.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Jolyon, who had crossed from Calais by night, arrived at Robin Hill on Sunday morning.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading He had sent no word beforehand, so walked up from the station, entering his domain by the coppice gate.

Chapter 23 of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 by John Galsworthy holds 112 sentences, grouped into 23 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 Forsyte saga, Volume 2 contain?

Chapter 23 holds 112 sentences of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 by John Galsworthy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 112 sentences, grouped into 23 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 Forsyte saga, Volume 2?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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.

Questions about reading The Forsyte saga, Volume 2

Common questions about reading The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 by John Galsworthy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2?

Yes. All 8090 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2594 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2594, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1618 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 section by section

How to work through The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 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 Forsyte saga, Volume 2

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Forsyte saga, Volume 2, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Summer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lease
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Short
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shakespeare
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.