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The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California
The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California is here in full — 276 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California
Context Illustration Reading 1/55 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
VALENTINE'S RETURN.
As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.
"Who can come at this hour," he muttered.
"I expect nobody."
And he went to the door and opened it.
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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 Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California is here in full — 276 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/55 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
VALENTINE'S RETURN.
/ˈvæləntaɪnz rɪˈtɜːrn/
Line 2
As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.
/æz wiː hæv ɔːlˈredi sed ðə kaʊnt spræŋ ʌp ɑːn ˈhiːrɪŋ ə ræp æt ðə dɔːr ʌv hɪz haʊs/
Line 3
"Who can come at this hour," he muttered.
/huː kæn kʌm æt ðɪs ˈaʊər hiː ˈmʌtərd/
Line 4
"I expect nobody."
/aɪ ɪkˈspekt ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/
Line 5
And he went to the door and opened it.
/ənd hiː went tuː ðə dɔːr ənd ˈoʊpənd ɪt/

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.

count verb US /kaʊnt/

determine the number or amount of

From this reading “As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.”

expect verb US /ɪkˈspekt/

regard something as probable or likely

From this reading “"I expect nobody."”

hearing noun US /ˈhiːrɪŋ/

(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence

From this reading “As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.”

muttered verb US /ˈmʌtərd/

past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice

From this reading “"Who can come at this hour," he muttered.”

nobody pronoun US /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/

no person; not anyone

From this reading “"I expect nobody."”

rap noun US /ræp/

a reproach for some lapse or misdeed

From this reading “As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.”

sprang verb US /spræŋ/

inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading “As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.”

valentine's noun US /ˈvæləntaɪnz/

possessive form of “valentine” — a sweetheart chosen to receive a greeting on Saint Valentine's Day

From this reading “VALENTINE'S RETURN.”

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.

sprang up verb + adjective counted as “spring up”

come into existence; take on form or shape

In this reading “As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.”

on hearing preposition + noun

In this reading “As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.”

at the door preposition + article + noun counted as “at … door”

In this reading “As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.”

All words in this reading · 35

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 As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And he went to the door and opened it.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading "Who can come at this hour," he muttered.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "Who can come at this hour," he muttered.

countverbUS /kaʊnt/

determine the number or amount of

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

expectverbUS /ɪkˈspekt/

regard something as probable or likely

From this reading "I expect nobody."

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Who can come at this hour," he muttered.

hearingnounUS /ˈhiːrɪŋ/

(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading "Who can come at this hour," he muttered.

housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I expect nobody."

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And he went to the door and opened it.

mutteredverbUS /ˈmʌtərd/

past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice

From this reading "Who can come at this hour," he muttered.

nobodypronounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/

no person; not anyone

From this reading "I expect nobody."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading And he went to the door and opened it.

rapnounUS /ræp/

a reproach for some lapse or misdeed

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

RETURNverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading VALENTINE'S RETURN.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

sprangverbUS /spræŋ/

inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "Who can come at this hour," he muttered.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And he went to the door and opened it.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

VALENTINE'SnounUS /ˈvæləntaɪnz/

possessive form of “valentine” — a sweetheart chosen to receive a greeting on Saint Valentine's Day

From this reading VALENTINE'S RETURN.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading As we have already said, the count sprang up on hearing a rap at the door of his house.

wentverbUS /went/

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

From this reading And he went to the door and opened it.

WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "Who can come at this hour," he muttered.

Chapter 15 of The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California by Gustave Aimard holds 276 sentences, grouped into 56 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 Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California contain?

Chapter 15 holds 276 sentences of The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California, unabridged, divided into 56 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California by Gustave Aimard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 276 sentences, grouped into 56 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 Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California?

Work through the 56 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 56 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 Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California

Common questions about reading The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California by Gustave Aimard on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California?

Yes. All 4498 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42532 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #42532, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California take to read?

About 374 minutes of reading across 900 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California section by section

How to work through The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Prairie
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Flower
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tiger-slayer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gold-Seekers: A Tale of California; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.