Chapter 18 of The Key to the Brontë Works is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of The Key to the Brontë Works is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
On [an] ... evening ... I was ... I came, just ere dark ... coming from the garden.... It the darkness ... of dusk had got dusk, ... the moon gathered.... I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
Chapter 18 of The Key to the Brontë Works is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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.
inflected form of “behold” — see with attention
From this reading “I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....”
the act of causing something to happen
From this reading “I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....”
plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area
From this reading “I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....”
capable of being perceived as different or distinct
From this reading “I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....”
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading “It the darkness ... of dusk had got dusk, ... the moon gathered....”
lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
From this reading “I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....”
plural of “portion” — something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading “I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....”
only a very short time before
From this reading “I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....”
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 beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....”
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.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading On [an] ... evening ...
inflected form of “behold” — see with attention
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading I came, just ere dark ... coming from the garden....
the act of causing something to happen
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading I came, just ere dark ... coming from the garden....
plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
absence of light or illumination
From this reading I came, just ere dark ... coming from the garden....
absence of light or illumination
From this reading It the darkness ... of dusk had got dusk, ... the moon gathered....
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
capable of being perceived as different or distinct
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading It the darkness ... of dusk had got dusk, ... the moon gathered....
an old word for “before”
From this reading I came, just ere dark ... coming from the garden....
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading On [an] ... evening ...
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I came, just ere dark ... coming from the garden....
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading I came, just ere dark ... coming from the garden....
brought together in one place
From this reading It the darkness ... of dusk had got dusk, ... the moon gathered....
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading It the darkness ... of dusk had got dusk, ... the moon gathered....
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It the darkness ... of dusk had got dusk, ... the moon gathered....
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was ...
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It the darkness ... of dusk had got dusk, ... the moon gathered....
and nothing more
From this reading I came, just ere dark ... coming from the garden....
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading It the darkness ... of dusk had got dusk, ... the moon gathered....
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It the darkness ... of dusk had got dusk, ... the moon gathered....
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On [an] ... evening ...
plural of “portion” — something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
only a very short time before
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I came, just ere dark ... coming from the garden....
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I beheld the causing ... shadows to lurk in house--scarce by this dim light the corners of ... portions of distinguishable....
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was ...
Chapter 18 of The Key to the Brontë Works by John Malham-Dembleby holds 140 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 18 holds 140 sentences of The Key to the Brontë Works, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of The Key to the Brontë Works by John Malham-Dembleby exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 140 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Key to the Brontë Works by John Malham-Dembleby on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2790 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40655 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40655, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 232 minutes of reading across 558 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Key to the Brontë Works section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of The Key to the Brontë Works 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 Key to the Brontë Works, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
