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The Freelands
The Freelands

Chapter XXXVIII · Chapter 38

Chapter 38 of The Freelands is here in full — 235 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Freelands
Context Illustration Reading 1/47 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.
But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.
And just as she had stooped to pick oneit was no flower, butTryst's white-banded face!
She woke with a little cry.
She was dressed by eight and went at once to Derek's room.
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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 Freelands

Chapter XXXVIII · Chapter 38

Chapter 38 of The Freelands is here in full — 235 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/47 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.
/ɪt wɑːz lɔːŋ bɪˈfɔːr ʃiː kloʊzd hɜːr aɪz ˈspendɪŋ ðə ˈaʊərz ɪn ˈfænsi wer stɪl les ʃiː wʊd hæv slept/
Line 2
But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.
/bʌt wen ʃiː dɪd drɑːp ɔːf ʃiː driːmd ðæt hiː ənd ʃiː wɜːr əˈloʊn əˈpɑːn ə stɑːr wer ɔːl ðə triːz wɜːr waɪt ðə ˈwɔːtər ɡræs bɜːrdz ˈevriθɪŋ waɪt ənd ðeɪ wɜːr ˈwɔːkɪŋ ɑːrm ɪn ɑːrm əˈmʌŋ waɪt ˈflaʊərz/
Line 3
And just as she had stooped to pick oneit was no flower, butTryst's white-banded face!
Line 4
She woke with a little cry.
/ʃiː woʊk wɪð ə ˈlɪtəl kraɪ/
Line 5
She was dressed by eight and went at once to Derek's room.

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.

dreamed adjective US /driːmd/

conceived of or imagined or hoped for

From this reading “But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.”

flower noun US /ˈflaʊər/

a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading “And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!”

pick verb US /pɪk/

select carefully from a group

From this reading “And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!”

slept verb US /slept/

inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep

From this reading “It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.”

spending noun US /ˈspendɪŋ/

the act of spending or disbursing money

From this reading “It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.”

star noun US /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading “But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.”

stooped adjective US /stuːpt/

having the back and shoulders rounded; not erect

From this reading “And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!”

woke verb US /woʊk/

inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading “She woke with a little cry.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

armnounUS /ɑːrm/

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading She was dressed by eight and went at once to Derek's room.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

birdsnounUS /bɜːrdz/

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading She was dressed by eight and went at once to Derek's room.

closedadjectiveUS /kloʊzd/

not open or affording passage or access

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

cryverbUS /kraɪ/

utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading She woke with a little cry.

Derek's

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

From this reading She was dressed by eight and went at once to Derek's room.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

dreamedadjectiveUS /driːmd/

conceived of or imagined or hoped for

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

dressedadjectiveUS /drest/

dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination

From this reading She was dressed by eight and went at once to Derek's room.

dropverbUS /drɑːp/

let fall to the ground

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

eightadjectiveUS /eɪt/

being one more than seven

From this reading She was dressed by eight and went at once to Derek's room.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!

fancynounUS /ˈfænsi/

something many people believe that is false

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

flowernounUS /ˈflaʊər/

a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!

flowersnounUS /ˈflaʊərz/

plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

grassverbUS /ɡræs/

shoot down, of birds

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading She woke with a little cry.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading She was dressed by eight and went at once to Derek's room.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!

pickverbUS /pɪk/

select carefully from a group

From this reading And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading She was dressed by eight and went at once to Derek's room.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

sleptverbUS /slept/

inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

spendingnounUS /ˈspendɪŋ/

the act of spending or disbursing money

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

starnounUS /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

stoopedadjectiveUS /stuːpt/

having the back and shoulders rounded; not erect

From this reading And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!

treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

Tryst's

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

From this reading And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

walkingadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/

close enough to be walked to

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading She was dressed by eight and went at once to Derek's room.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading But when she did drop off she dreamed that he and she were alone upon a star, where all the trees were white, the water, grass, birds, everything, white, and they were walking arm in arm, among white flowers.

white-banded

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

From this reading And just as she had stooped to pick one—it was no flower, but—Tryst's white-banded face!

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading She woke with a little cry.

wokeverbUS /woʊk/

inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading She woke with a little cry.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading It was long before she closed her eyes, spending the hours in fancy where still less she would have slept.

Chapter 38 of The Freelands by John Galsworthy holds 235 sentences, grouped into 47 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 38 of The Freelands contain?

Chapter 38 holds 235 sentences of The Freelands, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 38 of The Freelands by John Galsworthy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 235 sentences, grouped into 47 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 38 of The Freelands?

Work through the 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 47 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 38 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 38 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 Freelands

Common questions about reading The Freelands by John Galsworthy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Freelands?

Yes. All 6557 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2309 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Freelands is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2309, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Freelands take to read?

About 546 minutes of reading across 1312 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Freelands section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Freelands 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 Freelands

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

Liberty's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Freelands; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Glorious
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Freelands; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Feast
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Freelands; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Burns
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Freelands; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.