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The Magnificent Adventure
The Magnificent Adventure

Chapter XXXIII

Chapter 33 of The Magnificent Adventure is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Magnificent Adventure
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.
The news he bore had preceded him.
He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.
The servant found himself able to make but small speech.
"Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.
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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 Magnificent Adventure

Chapter XXXIII

Chapter 33 of The Magnificent Adventure is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.
Line 2
The news he bore had preceded him.
/ðə nuːz hiː bɔːr hæd prɪˈsiːdɪd hɪm/
Line 3
He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.
Line 4
The servant found himself able to make but small speech.
/ðə ˈsɜːrvənt faʊnd hɪmˈself ˈeɪbəl tuː meɪk bʌt smɔːl spiːtʃ/
Line 5
"Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.

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.

coldly adverb US /ˈkoʊldli/

lacking warmth of feeling; in a cold, unemotional manner

From this reading “He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.”

haltingly adverb US /ˈhɔːltɪŋli/

in a halting manner

From this reading “"Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.”

homestead noun US /ˈhoʊmsted/

the home and adjacent grounds occupied by a family

From this reading “DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.”

Lewis noun US /ˈluːɪs/

United States rock star singer and pianist (born in 1935)

From this reading “DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.”

Locust noun US /ˈloʊkəst/

migratory grasshoppers of warm regions having short antennae

From this reading “DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.”

preceded verb US /prɪˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “precede” — be earlier in time; go back further

From this reading “The news he bore had preceded him.”

regarded verb US /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading “He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.”

Virginia noun US /vərˈdʒɪnjə/

a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil War

From this reading “DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.”

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.

Many days adjective + noun

In this reading “DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.”

rode up verb + adjective counted as “ride up”

In this reading “DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.”

in silence preposition + noun

In this reading “He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.”

lived long verb + adjective counted as “live long”

In this reading “"Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.

ableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading The servant found himself able to make but small speech.

announcedadjectiveUS /əˈnaʊnst/

declared publicly; made widely known

From this reading He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.

boreverbUS /bɔːr/

cause to be bored

From this reading The news he bore had preceded him.

braveadjectiveUS /breɪv/

possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching

From this reading "Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The servant found himself able to make but small speech.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading "Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.

coldlyadverbUS /ˈkoʊldli/

lacking warmth of feeling; in a cold, unemotional manner

From this reading He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.

dark-browed

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

From this reading He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

DOWNadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading The servant found himself able to make but small speech.

FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/

the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

gatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The news he bore had preceded him.

HallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

haltinglyadverbUS /ˈhɔːltɪŋli/

in a halting manner

From this reading "Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The news he bore had preceded him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The news he bore had preceded him.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading The servant found himself able to make but small speech.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.

homesteadnounUS /ˈhoʊmsted/

the home and adjacent grounds occupied by a family

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

LewisnounUS /ˈluːɪs/

United States rock star singer and pianist (born in 1935)

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading "Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.

LocustnounUS /ˈloʊkəst/

migratory grasshoppers of warm regions having short antennae

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading "Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading The servant found himself able to make but small speech.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.

ManyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

metverbUS /met/

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading The news he bore had preceded him.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

Peria

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

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

precededverbUS /prɪˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “precede” — be earlier in time; go back further

From this reading The news he bore had preceded him.

regardedverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.

rodeverbUS /roʊd/

inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.

SEAnounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

servantnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənt/

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

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

From this reading He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

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

From this reading The servant found himself able to make but small speech.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading "Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.

speechnounUS /spiːtʃ/

the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

From this reading The servant found himself able to make but small speech.

stern-faced

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

From this reading He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading "Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

VirginianounUS /vərˈdʒɪnjə/

a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil War

From this reading DOWN TO THE SEA Many days later the French servant, Peria, rode up to the gate, to the door, of Locust Hall, the Lewis homestead in old Virginia.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading He met a stern-faced, dark-browed woman, who regarded him coldly when he announced his name, regarded him in silence.

YourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Your son was a brave man--he lived long," said Peria, haltingly, at the close of his story.

Chapter 33 of The Magnificent Adventure by Emerson Hough holds 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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 33 of The Magnificent Adventure contain?

Chapter 33 holds 115 sentences of The Magnificent Adventure, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 33 of The Magnificent Adventure by Emerson Hough exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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 33 of The Magnificent Adventure?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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 33 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 33 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 Magnificent Adventure

Common questions about reading The Magnificent Adventure by Emerson Hough on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Magnificent Adventure?

Yes. All 6289 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30298 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Magnificent Adventure is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #30298, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Magnificent Adventure take to read?

About 524 minutes of reading across 1258 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Magnificent Adventure section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 33 chapters of The Magnificent Adventure 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 Magnificent Adventure

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

Woman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magnificent Adventure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Somewhat
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magnificent Adventure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Angular
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magnificent Adventure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Strong
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magnificent Adventure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.