The House by the Lock

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of The House by the Lock is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By A. M. (Alice Muriel) [Adapter] Williamson • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The House by the Lock

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

"No, sir.

I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

Mr. Wildred had some idea of a surprise, I believe, sir."

The fact that not only had my companion claimed to be the brother of the bride, but that his facial expression and colouring answered for his truth, caused the fellow to feel apparently that we had a right to explanations.

Narrator

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.

Chapter XXVIII Reading 1/13

The House by the Lock

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of The House by the Lock is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

Line 2

"No, sir.

/noʊ sɜːr/

Line 3

I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

Line 4

Mr. Wildred had some idea of a surprise, I believe, sir."

Line 5

/ðə fækt ðæt nɑːt ˈoʊnli hæd maɪ kəmˈpænjən kleɪmd tuː biː ðə ˈbrʌðər ʌv ðə braɪd bʌt ðæt hɪz ˈfeɪʃəl ɪkˈspreʃən ənd ˈkʌlərrɪŋ ˈænsərd fɔːr hɪz truːθ kɑːzd ðə ˈfeloʊ tuː fiːl əˈperəntli ðæt wiː hæd ə raɪt tuː ˌekspləˈneɪʃənz/

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.

claimed verb US /kleɪmd/

past form of “claim” — assert or affirm strongly; state to be true or existing

From this reading “The fact that not only had my companion claimed to be the brother of the bride, but that his facial expression and colouring answered for his truth, caused the fellow to feel apparently that we had a right to explanations.”

colouring noun US /ˈkʌlərrɪŋ/

a digestible substance used to give color to food

Cunningham noun US /ˈkʌnɪŋhæm/

United States dancer and choreographer (born in 1922)

From this reading “A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.”

explanations noun US /ˌekspləˈneɪʃənz/

plural of “explanation” — a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.

facial noun US /ˈfeɪʃəl/

cranial nerve that supplies facial muscles

groom verb US /ɡruːm/

educate for a future role or function

From this reading “A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.”

grudgingly adverb US /ˈɡrʌdʒɪŋli/

in a grudging manner

From this reading “A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.”

questioned verb US /ˈkwestʃənd/

past form of “question” — challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading “A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.”

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.

facial expression noun + noun

a gesture executed with the facial muscles

In this reading “The fact that not only had my companion claimed to be the brother of the bride, but that his facial expression and colouring answered for his truth, caused the fellow to feel apparently that we had a right to explanations.”

some idea adjective + noun

In this reading “Mr. Wildred had some idea of a surprise, I believe, sir."”

All words in this reading · 63

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 A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading The fact that not only had my companion claimed to be the brother of the bride, but that his facial expression and colouring answered for his truth, caused the fellow to feel apparently that we had a right to explanations.

apparentlyadverbUS /əˈperəntli/

from appearances alone

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading Mr. Wildred had some idea of a surprise, I believe, sir."

bridenounUS /braɪd/

a woman who has recently been married

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

causedverbUS /kɑːzd/

past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally

ChaseverbUS /tʃeɪs/

go after with the intent to catch

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

claimedverbUS /kleɪmd/

past form of “claim” — assert or affirm strongly; state to be true or existing

colouringnounUS /ˈkʌlərrɪŋ/

a digestible substance used to give color to food

companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

CunninghamnounUS /ˈkʌnɪŋhæm/

United States dancer and choreographer (born in 1922)

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

explanationsnounUS /ˌekspləˈneɪʃənz/

plural of “explanation” — a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.

expressionnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃən/

the feelings expressed on a person's face

facialnounUS /ˈfeɪʃəl/

cranial nerve that supplies facial muscles

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

groomverbUS /ɡruːm/

educate for a future role or function

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

grudginglyadverbUS /ˈɡrʌdʒɪŋli/

in a grudging manner

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Mr. Wildred had some idea of a surprise, I believe, sir."

hadn't

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

From this reading I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

ideanounUS /aɪˈdiːə/

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

From this reading Mr. Wildred had some idea of a surprise, I believe, sir."

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

LadynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Wildred had some idea of a surprise, I believe, sir."

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "No, sir.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Mr. Wildred had some idea of a surprise, I believe, sir."

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

questionedverbUS /ˈkwestʃənd/

past form of “question” — challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading "No, sir.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Mr. Wildred had some idea of a surprise, I believe, sir."

surprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading Mr. Wildred had some idea of a surprise, I believe, sir."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

Tressidy

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

From this reading I heard Lady Tressidy say only this morning that even she hadn't been told.

truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

Wild-Goose

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

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

Wildred

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

From this reading Mr. Wildred had some idea of a surprise, I believe, sir."

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading A Wild-Goose Chase "Do you know where the--the bride and groom have gone?" questioned Cunningham, grudgingly.

Chapter 28 of The House by the Lock by A. M. (Alice Muriel) [Adapter] Williamson holds 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 28 of The House by the Lock contain?

Chapter 28 holds 66 sentences of The House by the Lock, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of The House by the Lock by A. M. (Alice Muriel) [Adapter] Williamson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 28 of The House by the Lock?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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 House by the Lock

Common questions about reading The House by the Lock by A. M. (Alice Muriel) [Adapter] Williamson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The House by the Lock?

Yes. All 2503 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31228 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The House by the Lock is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #31228, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The House by the Lock take to read?

About 208 minutes of reading across 501 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The House by the Lock section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 30 chapters of The House by the Lock to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The House by the Lock

Words and structures a reader meets early in The House by the Lock, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Co-author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House by the Lock; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lightning: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House by the Lock; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Conductor: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House by the Lock; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cinderella: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House by the Lock; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

What does chapter 28 of The House by the Lock contain?

How do I study chapter 28 of The House by the Lock?

Can chapter 28 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The House by the Lock

How to read The House by the Lock section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The House by the Lock