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The Gray Phantom's Return
The Gray Phantom's Return

Chapter XXV · In a Circle of Light

Chapter XXV of The Gray Phantom's Return, “In a Circle of Light,” is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Gray Phantom's Return
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.
In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.
He did not notice that the car gathered speed just as he tumbled in.
"Helen!" he cried, throwing himself into the seat beside her.
"What's the matter?
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Gray Phantom's Return

Chapter XXV · In a Circle of Light

Chapter XXV of The Gray Phantom's Return, “In a Circle of Light,” is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.
Line 2
In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.
/ɪn ə ˈmoʊmənt hiː wɑːz ɑːn ðə ˈrʌnɪŋ bɔːrd ˈrentʃɪŋ ðə dɔːr ˈoʊ.pən/
Line 3
He did not notice that the car gathered speed just as he tumbled in.
/hiː dɪd nɑːt ˈnoʊtəs ðæt ðə kɑːr ˈɡæðərd spiːd dʒʌst æz hiː ˈtʌmbəld ɪn/
Line 4
"Helen!" he cried, throwing himself into the seat beside her.
/ˈhelən hiː kraɪd ˈθroʊɪŋ hɪmˈself ˈɪntuː ðə siːt bɪˈsaɪd hɜːr/
Line 5
"What's the matter?

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.

chill noun US /tʃɪl/

coldness due to a cold environment

From this reading “She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.”

frozen adjective US /ˈfroʊzən/

turned into ice; affected by freezing or by long and severe cold

From this reading “She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.”

glacial adjective US /ˈɡleɪʃəl/

relating to or derived from a glacier

From this reading “She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.”

rigidity noun US /rɪˈdʒɪdəti/

the physical property of being stiff and resisting bending

From this reading “She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.”

stare verb US /ster/

look at with fixed eyes

From this reading “She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.”

tumbled verb US /ˈtʌmbəld/

past form of “tumble” — fall down, as if collapsing

From this reading “He did not notice that the car gathered speed just as he tumbled in.”

veins noun US /veɪnz/

plural of “vein” — a blood vessel that carries blood from the capillaries toward the heart

From this reading “She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.”

wrenching adjective US /ˈrentʃɪŋ/

causing great physical or mental suffering

From this reading “In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.”

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.

running board adjective + noun

a narrow footboard serving as a step beneath the doors of some old cars

In this reading “In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.”

In a moment preposition + article + noun counted as “in … moment”

In this reading “In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.”

All words in this reading · 50

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 She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading "Helen!" he cried, throwing himself into the seat beside her.

boardnounUS /bɔːrd/

a committee having supervisory powers

From this reading In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.

carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading He did not notice that the car gathered speed just as he tumbled in.

chillnounUS /tʃɪl/

coldness due to a cold environment

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading "Helen!" he cried, throwing himself into the seat beside her.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading He did not notice that the car gathered speed just as he tumbled in.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

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

From this reading In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

frozenadjectiveUS /ˈfroʊzən/

turned into ice; affected by freezing or by long and severe cold

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

gatheredadjectiveUS /ˈɡæðərd/

brought together in one place

From this reading He did not notice that the car gathered speed just as he tumbled in.

glacialadjectiveUS /ˈɡleɪʃəl/

relating to or derived from a glacier

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.

HelennounUS /ˈhelən/

(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War

From this reading "Helen!" he cried, throwing himself into the seat beside her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading "Helen!" he cried, throwing himself into the seat beside her.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading He did not notice that the car gathered speed just as he tumbled in.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading "What's the matter?

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He did not notice that the car gathered speed just as he tumbled in.

noticenounUS /ˈnoʊtəs/

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading He did not notice that the car gathered speed just as he tumbled in.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.

Phantom's

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

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

rigiditynounUS /rɪˈdʒɪdəti/

the physical property of being stiff and resisting bending

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

runningadjectiveUS /ˈrʌnɪŋ/

(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream

From this reading In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.

seatnounUS /siːt/

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

From this reading "Helen!" he cried, throwing himself into the seat beside her.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

speedverbUS /spiːd/

move hurridly

From this reading He did not notice that the car gathered speed just as he tumbled in.

stareverbUS /ster/

look at with fixed eyes

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He did not notice that the car gathered speed just as he tumbled in.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

throwingverbUS /ˈθroʊɪŋ/

-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air

From this reading "Helen!" he cried, throwing himself into the seat beside her.

tumbledverbUS /ˈtʌmbəld/

past form of “tumble” — fall down, as if collapsing

From this reading He did not notice that the car gathered speed just as he tumbled in.

veinsnounUS /veɪnz/

plural of “vein” — a blood vessel that carries blood from the capillaries toward the heart

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.

What's

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

From this reading "What's the matter?

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading She looked as though her whole being had frozen into rigidity, and the glacial stare of her eyes sent a chill through the Phantom's veins.

wrenchingadjectiveUS /ˈrentʃɪŋ/

causing great physical or mental suffering

From this reading In a moment he was on the running board, wrenching the door open.

Chapter 25 of The Gray Phantom's Return by Herman Landon holds 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 25 of The Gray Phantom's Return contain?

Chapter 25 holds 109 sentences of The Gray Phantom's Return, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 25 of The Gray Phantom's Return by Herman Landon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 25 of The Gray Phantom's Return?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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 25 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 25 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 Gray Phantom's Return

Common questions about reading The Gray Phantom's Return by Herman Landon on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Gray Phantom's Return?

Yes. All 5334 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37490 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Gray Phantom's Return is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37490, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Gray Phantom's Return take to read?

About 444 minutes of reading across 1067 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Gray Phantom's Return section by section

How to work through The Gray Phantom's Return section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 32 chapters of The Gray Phantom's Return 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 Gray Phantom's Return

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Gray Phantom's Return, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Patrolman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gray Phantom's Return; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Joshua
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gray Phantom's Return; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pinto
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gray Phantom's Return; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Walking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gray Phantom's Return; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.