Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Invasion
The Invasion

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Invasion is here in full — 169 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Invasion
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FALL OF LONDON.
Outside London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained field of battle.
With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.
Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.
Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.
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 Invasion

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Invasion is here in full — 169 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
FALL OF LONDON.
/fɔːl ʌv ˈlʌndən/
Line 2
Outside London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained field of battle.
Line 3
With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.
/wɪð ə peɪl laɪt ðə muːn hæd ˈrɪzən ˈpɑːrtli ˈhɪdən baɪ ˈtʃeɪsɪŋ klaʊdz hɜːr waɪt reɪz ˈmɪŋɡəlɪŋ wɪð ðə ˈlʊrəd ɡler ʌv ðə ˈfaɪərz daʊn ɪn ðə ɡreɪt ˈterəfaɪd məˈtrɑːpələs bɪˈloʊ/
Line 4
Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.
Line 5
Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.
/əˈlɔːŋ ðə ˈdʒɜːrmən laɪn ʌv ˌɪnˈvestmənt ðer hæd naʊ ˈfɑːloʊd əˈpɑːn ðə rɔːr ʌv ˈbætəl æn ənˈkæni ˈsaɪ.ləns/

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.

chasing verb US /ˈtʃeɪsɪŋ/

-ing form of “chase” — go after with the intent to catch

From this reading “With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.”

investment noun US /ˌɪnˈvestmənt/

the act of investing; laying out money or capital in an enterprise with the expectation of profit

From this reading “Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.”

lurid adjective US /ˈlʊrəd/

horrible in fierceness or savagery

From this reading “With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.”

Metropolis noun US /məˈtrɑːpələs/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading “With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.”

mingling noun US /ˈmɪŋɡəlɪŋ/

the action of people mingling and coming into contact

From this reading “With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.”

moonbeams noun US /ˈmuːnbiːmz/

plural of “moonbeam” — a ray of moonlight

From this reading “Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.”

pallid adjective US /ˈpæləd/

abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress

From this reading “Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.”

uncanny adjective US /ənˈkæni/

suggesting the operation of supernatural influences

From this reading “Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.”

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.

lurid glare adjective + noun

In this reading “With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.”

pallid faces adjective + noun counted as “pallid face”

In this reading “Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.”

partly hidden adverb + adjective

In this reading “With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.”

shone upon verb + particle counted as “shine upon”

In this reading “Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.”

roar of verb + particle

In this reading “Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

AlongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.

Barnet

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

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

battlenounUS /ˈbætəl/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading Outside London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained field of battle.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

blood-stained

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

From this reading Outside London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained field of battle.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

chasingverbUS /ˈtʃeɪsɪŋ/

-ing form of “chase” — go after with the intent to catch

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

cloudsnounUS /klaʊdz/

plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

districtnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Outside London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained field of battle.

facesnounUS /ˈfeɪsəz/

plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

FALLverbUS /fɔːl/

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading FALL OF LONDON.

fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

fieldnounUS /fiːld/

a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading Outside London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained field of battle.

finaladjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəl/

occurring at or forming an end or termination

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

firesnounUS /ˈfaɪərz/

plural of “fire” — the event of something burning (often destructive)

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.

foughtverbUS /fɔːt/

inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

GermannounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

From this reading Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.

glarenounUS /ɡler/

a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Outside London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained field of battle.

Hampstead

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

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

hiddenadjectiveUS /ˈhɪdən/

not accessible to view

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

hotlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːtli/

in a heated manner

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

investmentnounUS /ˌɪnˈvestmənt/

the act of investing; laying out money or capital in an enterprise with the expectation of profit

From this reading Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.

LONDONnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading FALL OF LONDON.

luridadjectiveUS /ˈlʊrəd/

horrible in fierceness or savagery

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

MetropolisnounUS /məˈtrɑːpələs/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

minglingnounUS /ˈmɪŋɡəlɪŋ/

the action of people mingling and coming into contact

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

moonnounUS /muːn/

the natural satellite of the Earth

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

moonbeamsnounUS /ˈmuːnbiːmz/

plural of “moonbeam” — a ray of moonlight

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Outside London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained field of battle.

NorthwardadverbUS /ˈnɔːrθwərd/

in a northern direction

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading FALL OF LONDON.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Outside London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained field of battle.

OutsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading Outside London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained field of battle.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

paleadjectiveUS /peɪl/

very light colored; highly diluted with white

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

pallidadjectiveUS /ˈpæləd/

abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

partlyadverbUS /ˈpɑːrtli/

to some extent; in some degree; not wholly

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

raysnounUS /reɪz/

plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

risenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪzən/

(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

roarverbUS /rɔːr/

make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles

From this reading Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.

SeptembernounUS /sepˈtembər/

the month following August and preceding October

From this reading Outside London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained field of battle.

settledadjectiveUS /ˈsetəld/

established or decided beyond dispute or doubt

From this reading Outside London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained field of battle.

shoneverbUS /ʃoʊn/

inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

terrifiedadjectiveUS /ˈterəfaɪd/

thrown into a state of intense fear or desperation

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Outside London the September night had settled down on the blood-stained field of battle.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

uncannyadjectiveUS /ənˈkæni/

suggesting the operation of supernatural influences

From this reading Along the German line of investment there had now followed upon the roar of battle an uncanny silence.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading Northward, from Hampstead across to Barnet--indeed, over that wide district where the final battle had been so hotly fought--the moonbeams shone upon the pallid faces of the fallen.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading With a pale light the moon had risen, partly hidden by chasing clouds, her white rays mingling with the lurid glare of the fires down in the great terrified Metropolis below.

Chapter 18 of The Invasion by William Le Queux holds 169 sentences, grouped into 34 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 18 of The Invasion contain?

Chapter 18 holds 169 sentences of The Invasion, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Invasion by William Le Queux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 169 sentences, grouped into 34 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 18 of The Invasion?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 Invasion

Common questions about reading The Invasion by William Le Queux on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Invasion?

Yes. All 3974 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36155 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Invasion is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36155, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Invasion take to read?

About 331 minutes of reading across 795 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Invasion section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Invasion 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 Invasion

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

Enclosed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Invasion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Equal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Invasion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Signs
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Invasion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Original
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Invasion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.