Chapter 3 of The Gateless Barrier is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Gateless Barrier is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"You may do so," Mr. Rivers said. His nephew's rapid speech and breezy manner made him slightly breathless. He was unaccustomed to be treated in this light and airy fashion. He moved uneasily in his chair, as one who tries to avoid a draught. Laurence observing this, repented of his purpose.
Chapter 3 of The Gateless Barrier is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
open to or abounding in fresh air
From this reading “He was unaccustomed to be treated in this light and airy fashion.”
fresh and animated
From this reading “His nephew's rapid speech and breezy manner made him slightly breathless.”
a serving of drink (usually alcoholic) drawn from a keg
From this reading “He moved uneasily in his chair, as one who tries to avoid a draught.”
possessive form of “nephew” — a son of your brother or sister
From this reading “His nephew's rapid speech and breezy manner made him slightly breathless.”
past form of “repent” — turn away from sin or do penitence
From this reading “Laurence observing this, repented of his purpose.”
plural of “try” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading “He moved uneasily in his chair, as one who tries to avoid a draught.”
unusual or unfamiliar
From this reading “He was unaccustomed to be treated in this light and airy fashion.”
with anxiety or apprehension
From this reading “He moved uneasily in his chair, as one who tries to avoid a draught.”
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 this reading “Laurence observing this, repented of his purpose.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He moved uneasily in his chair, as one who tries to avoid a draught.
open to or abounding in fresh air
From this reading He was unaccustomed to be treated in this light and airy fashion.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His nephew's rapid speech and breezy manner made him slightly breathless.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He moved uneasily in his chair, as one who tries to avoid a draught.
stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading He moved uneasily in his chair, as one who tries to avoid a draught.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He was unaccustomed to be treated in this light and airy fashion.
not breathing or able to breathe except with difficulty
From this reading His nephew's rapid speech and breezy manner made him slightly breathless.
fresh and animated
From this reading His nephew's rapid speech and breezy manner made him slightly breathless.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading He moved uneasily in his chair, as one who tries to avoid a draught.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "You may do so," Mr. Rivers said.
a serving of drink (usually alcoholic) drawn from a keg
From this reading He moved uneasily in his chair, as one who tries to avoid a draught.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He was unaccustomed to be treated in this light and airy fashion.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was unaccustomed to be treated in this light and airy fashion.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His nephew's rapid speech and breezy manner made him slightly breathless.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His nephew's rapid speech and breezy manner made him slightly breathless.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was unaccustomed to be treated in this light and airy fashion.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Laurence observing this, repented of his purpose.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading He was unaccustomed to be treated in this light and airy fashion.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading His nephew's rapid speech and breezy manner made him slightly breathless.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading His nephew's rapid speech and breezy manner made him slightly breathless.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "You may do so," Mr. Rivers said.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading He moved uneasily in his chair, as one who tries to avoid a draught.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "You may do so," Mr. Rivers said.
possessive form of “nephew” — a son of your brother or sister
From this reading His nephew's rapid speech and breezy manner made him slightly breathless.
quick to notice; showing quick and keen perception
From this reading Laurence observing this, repented of his purpose.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Laurence observing this, repented of his purpose.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He moved uneasily in his chair, as one who tries to avoid a draught.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading Laurence observing this, repented of his purpose.
done or occurring in a brief period of time
From this reading His nephew's rapid speech and breezy manner made him slightly breathless.
past form of “repent” — turn away from sin or do penitence
From this reading Laurence observing this, repented of his purpose.
plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading "You may do so," Mr. Rivers said.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "You may do so," Mr. Rivers said.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading His nephew's rapid speech and breezy manner made him slightly breathless.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "You may do so," Mr. Rivers said.
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading His nephew's rapid speech and breezy manner made him slightly breathless.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He was unaccustomed to be treated in this light and airy fashion.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He was unaccustomed to be treated in this light and airy fashion.
subjected to a physical (or chemical) treatment or action or agent
From this reading He was unaccustomed to be treated in this light and airy fashion.
plural of “try” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading He moved uneasily in his chair, as one who tries to avoid a draught.
unusual or unfamiliar
From this reading He was unaccustomed to be treated in this light and airy fashion.
with anxiety or apprehension
From this reading He moved uneasily in his chair, as one who tries to avoid a draught.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was unaccustomed to be treated in this light and airy fashion.
which person or people
From this reading He moved uneasily in his chair, as one who tries to avoid a draught.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You may do so," Mr. Rivers said.
Chapter 3 of The Gateless Barrier by Lucas Malet holds 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 3 holds 422 sentences of The Gateless Barrier, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Gateless Barrier by Lucas Malet exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 3 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 Gateless Barrier by Lucas Malet on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3353 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34619 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34619, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 279 minutes of reading across 671 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Gateless Barrier section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Gateless Barrier 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 Gateless Barrier, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
