Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales
The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE PROMPTINGS OF THE IDEAL It was noon.
Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.
He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.
Sir Edward was fastidious.
Casting his eyes around, at a little distance he perceived the stand of a youthful bootblack.
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 Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE PROMPTINGS OF THE IDEAL It was noon.
Line 2
Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.
/sɜːr ˈedwərd hæd stept frʌm hɪz ˈbruːɡəm ənd wɑːz prəˈsiːdɪŋ ɑːn fʊt daʊn ðə strænd/
Line 3
He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.
Line 4
Sir Edward was fastidious.
/sɜːr ˈedwərd wɑːz fæˈstɪdiəs/
Line 5
Casting his eyes around, at a little distance he perceived the stand of a youthful bootblack.

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.

arched adjective US /ɑːrtʃt/

constructed with or in the form of an arch or arches

From this reading “He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.”

brougham noun US /ˈbruːɡəm/

light carriage; pulled by a single horse

From this reading “Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.”

disk noun US /dɪsk/

something with a round shape resembling a flat circular plate

From this reading “He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.”

fastidious adjective US /fæˈstɪdiəs/

giving careful attention to detail; hard to please; excessively concerned with cleanliness

From this reading “Sir Edward was fastidious.”

glitter noun US /ˈɡlɪtər/

the quality of shining with a bright reflected light

From this reading “He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.”

harmonious adjective US /hɑːrˈmoʊniəs/

musically pleasing

From this reading “He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.”

marred adjective US /mɑːrd/

blemished by injury or rough wear

From this reading “He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.”

Strand noun US /strænd/

a pattern forming a unity within a larger structural whole

From this reading “Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.”

All words in this reading · 58

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 He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

alighting

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

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

archedadjectiveUS /ɑːrtʃt/

constructed with or in the form of an arch or arches

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading Casting his eyes around, at a little distance he perceived the stand of a youthful bootblack.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Casting his eyes around, at a little distance he perceived the stand of a youthful bootblack.

bootblacknoun

a person who polishes shoes and boots

From this reading Casting his eyes around, at a little distance he perceived the stand of a youthful bootblack.

bootsnounUS /buːts/

plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

broughamnounUS /ˈbruːɡəm/

light carriage; pulled by a single horse

From this reading Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

CastingnounUS /ˈkæstɪŋ/

object formed by a mold

From this reading Casting his eyes around, at a little distance he perceived the stand of a youthful bootblack.

conglomerated

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

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

disknounUS /dɪsk/

something with a round shape resembling a flat circular plate

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading Casting his eyes around, at a little distance he perceived the stand of a youthful bootblack.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.

dressedadjectiveUS /drest/

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

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

EdwardnounUS /ˈedwərd/

King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)

From this reading Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Casting his eyes around, at a little distance he perceived the stand of a youthful bootblack.

fastidiousadjectiveUS /fæˈstɪdiəs/

giving careful attention to detail; hard to please; excessively concerned with cleanliness

From this reading Sir Edward was fastidious.

faultlessadjective

without fault or error

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

footnounUS /fʊt/

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.

glitternounUS /ˈɡlɪtər/

the quality of shining with a bright reflected light

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.

harmoniousadjectiveUS /hɑːrˈmoʊniəs/

musically pleasing

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.

IDEALadjectiveUS /aɪˈdiːl/

conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence; embodying an ideal

From this reading THE PROMPTINGS OF THE IDEAL It was noon.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

instantlyadverbUS /ˈɪnstəntli/

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

instepnoun

the arch of the foot

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE PROMPTINGS OF THE IDEAL It was noon.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Casting his eyes around, at a little distance he perceived the stand of a youthful bootblack.

marredadjectiveUS /mɑːrd/

blemished by injury or rough wear

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

noonnounUS /nuːn/

the middle of the day

From this reading THE PROMPTINGS OF THE IDEAL It was noon.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE PROMPTINGS OF THE IDEAL It was noon.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.

perceivedadjectiveUS /pərˈsiːvd/

detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues

From this reading Casting his eyes around, at a little distance he perceived the stand of a youthful bootblack.

proceedingnounUS /prəˈsiːdɪŋ/

(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked

From this reading Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.

PROMPTINGS

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

From this reading THE PROMPTINGS OF THE IDEAL It was noon.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.

slippedverbUS /slɪpt/

inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

soilnounUS /sɔɪl/

the state of being covered with unclean things

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

standverbUS /stænd/

be standing; be upright

From this reading Casting his eyes around, at a little distance he perceived the stand of a youthful bootblack.

steppedverbUS /stept/

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.

StrandnounUS /strænd/

a pattern forming a unity within a larger structural whole

From this reading Sir Edward had stepped from his brougham, and was proceeding on foot down the Strand.

tasteverbUS /teɪst/

To perceive flavor through the mouth.

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE PROMPTINGS OF THE IDEAL It was noon.

usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

vehiclenounUS /ˈviːhɪkəl/

a conveyance that transports people or objects

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE PROMPTINGS OF THE IDEAL It was noon.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He was dressed with his usual faultless taste, but in alighting from his vehicle his foot had slipped, and a small round disk of conglomerated soil, which instantly appeared on his high arched instep, marred the harmonious glitter of his boots.

youthfuladjectiveUS /ˈjuːθfəl/

suggestive of youth; vigorous and fresh

From this reading Casting his eyes around, at a little distance he perceived the stand of a youthful bootblack.

Chapter 17 of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales by Bret Harte holds 101 sentences, grouped into 21 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 17 of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales contain?

Chapter 17 holds 101 sentences of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales by Bret Harte exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 101 sentences, grouped into 21 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 17 of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales

Common questions about reading The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales by Bret Harte on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales?

Yes. All 6205 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6373 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6373, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales take to read?

About 517 minutes of reading across 1241 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales section by section

How to work through The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales 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 Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Toward
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Close
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bright
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
October
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.