Chapter 26 of The island is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of The island is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN EXPLANATION. I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria. I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak. She turned to greet me with a grave smile. ‘You came away before it was over; I was wiser than you, I came away before it began.
Chapter 26 of The island is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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.
feeling downcast and disheartened and hopeless
From this reading “I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.”
express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading “She turned to greet me with a grave smile.”
showing clearly the outline or profile or boundary
From this reading “I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.”
the most extreme possible amount or value
From this reading “I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.”
(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear
From this reading “I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.”
of size and dignity suggestive of a statue
From this reading “I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.”
queen of Great Britain and Ireland and empress of India from 1837 to 1901; the last Hanoverian ruler of England (1819-1901)
From this reading “I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.”
comparative of “wise” — having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading “‘You came away before it was over; I was wiser than you, I came away before it began.”
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 “I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.”
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 She turned to greet me with a grave smile.
higher than, or over, something
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN EXPLANATION.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading ‘You came away before it was over; I was wiser than you, I came away before it began.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading ‘You came away before it was over; I was wiser than you, I came away before it began.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading ‘You came away before it was over; I was wiser than you, I came away before it began.
rid of obstructions
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
feeling downcast and disheartened and hopeless
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading AN EXPLANATION.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
death of a person
From this reading She turned to greet me with a grave smile.
express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading She turned to greet me with a grave smile.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading ‘You came away before it was over; I was wiser than you, I came away before it began.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She turned to greet me with a grave smile.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
and nothing more
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
showing clearly the outline or profile or boundary
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
above and across; more than
From this reading ‘You came away before it was over; I was wiser than you, I came away before it began.
the most extreme possible amount or value
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
try to get or reach
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She turned to greet me with a grave smile.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading She turned to greet me with a grave smile.
of size and dignity suggestive of a statue
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading ‘You came away before it was over; I was wiser than you, I came away before it began.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading She turned to greet me with a grave smile.
too sacred to be uttered
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
queen of Great Britain and Ireland and empress of India from 1837 to 1901; the last Hanoverian ruler of England (1819-1901)
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading I walked away in unutterable despondency, relieved only by one purpose, one hope--to find Victoria.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I had not far to go to seek her: her statuesque form was outlined against the clear sky above the Peak.
comparative of “wise” — having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading ‘You came away before it was over; I was wiser than you, I came away before it began.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She turned to greet me with a grave smile.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ‘You came away before it was over; I was wiser than you, I came away before it began.
Chapter 26 of The island by Richard Whiteing holds 138 sentences, grouped into 28 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 26 holds 138 sentences of The island, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of The island by Richard Whiteing exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 138 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 26 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 island by Richard Whiteing on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3120 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73620 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #73620, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 260 minutes of reading across 624 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The island section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of The island 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 island, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
