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The Letter of Credit
The Letter of Credit

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The Letter of Credit is here in full — 514 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Susan Warner • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Letter of Credit
Context Illustration Reading 1/102 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MRS.
BUSBY'S HOUSE.
By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.
It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.
From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.
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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 Letter of Credit

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The Letter of Credit is here in full — 514 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/102 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MRS.
/ˈmɪsɪz/
Line 2
BUSBY'S HOUSE.
Line 3
By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.
Line 4
It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.
Line 5
From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.

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.

clouds noun US /klaʊdz/

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

From this reading “From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cloudy adjective US /ˈklaʊdi/

lacking definite form or limits

From this reading “It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
departure noun US /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

the act of departing

From this reading “From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dull adjective US /dʌl/

lacking in liveliness or animation

From this reading “It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
externally adverb US /ɪkˈstɜːrnəli/

on or from the outside

From this reading “By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Monday noun US /ˈmʌndi/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading “By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
November noun US /noʊˈvembər/

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading “It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recovered adjective US /rəˈkʌvərd/

freed from illness or injury

From this reading “By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

entered the room verb + article + noun counted as “enter … room”

In this reading “From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.”

13,118 times in 426,211 chapters
came down verb + adjective counted as “come down”

move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

In this reading “From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.”

63,240 times in 426,211 chapters
judge by verb + particle

In this reading “It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.”

4,649 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 52

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BUSBY'S

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

From this reading BUSBY'S HOUSE.

Pending verification
ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chargeverbUS /tʃɑːrdʒ/

to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cloudsnounUS /klaʊdz/

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

From this reading From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cloudyadjectiveUS /ˈklaʊdi/

lacking definite form or limits

From this reading It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
commandnounUS /kəˈmænd/

an authoritative direction or instruction to do something

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
departurenounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

the act of departing

From this reading From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Digby

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

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

Pending verification
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dressedadjectiveUS /drest/

dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination

From this reading From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dulladjectiveUS /dʌl/

lacking in liveliness or animation

From this reading It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
externallyadverbUS /ɪkˈstɜːrnəli/

on or from the outside

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

From this reading From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HOUSEnounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading BUSBY'S HOUSE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
judgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MondaynounUS /ˈmʌndi/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MRSnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading MRS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NovembernounUS /noʊˈvembər/

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recoveredadjectiveUS /rəˈkʌvərd/

freed from illness or injury

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Rotha

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

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

Pending verification
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
snownounUS /snoʊ/

precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals

From this reading It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was the first of November; dull, cloudy and cold; getting ready for snow, Mr. Digby said, to judge by the sky.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading By the beginning of the week Rotha had recovered command of herself, externally at least; and on the Monday Mr. Digby and his charge were to go to Mrs. Busby's.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading From the clouds his eye came down to Rotha, who had just entered the room dressed for her departure.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 12 of The Letter of Credit by Susan Warner holds 514 sentences, grouped into 103 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 12 of The Letter of Credit contain?

Chapter 12 holds 514 sentences of The Letter of Credit, unabridged, divided into 103 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The Letter of Credit by Susan Warner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 514 sentences, grouped into 103 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 12 of The Letter of Credit?

Work through the 103 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 103 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Letter of Credit

Common questions about reading The Letter of Credit by Susan Warner on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Letter of Credit?

Yes. All 12805 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36159 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Letter of Credit is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36159, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Letter of Credit take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2561 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Letter of Credit section by section

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Letter of Credit

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

Susan
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letter of Credit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Warner
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letter of Credit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Letter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letter of Credit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Credit
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letter of Credit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.