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The Maid of Sker
The Maid of Sker

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Maid of Sker is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Maid of Sker
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ON DUTY.
There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.
This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.
If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.
In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.
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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 Maid of Sker

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Maid of Sker is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ON DUTY.
/ɑːn ˈduːti/
Line 2
There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.
Line 3
This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.
/ðɪs aɪ hæv felt soʊ ˈɔːfən ðæt naʊ aɪ meɪ hæv ˈɡɪvən ˈʌtərəns tuː ɪt wʌns ɔːr ˈpɑːsəbli twaɪs bɪˈfɔːr/
Line 4
If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.
/ɪf soʊ juː wɪl faɪnd miː kənˈsɪstənt ˈhoʊli ənd kwaɪt priˈperd tuː əˈbaɪd baɪ ɪt/
Line 5
In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

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.

abide verb US /əˈbaɪd/

dwell

From this reading “If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.”

clearer adjective US /ˈklɪrər/

comparative of “clear” — readily apparent to the mind

From this reading “In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.”

consistent adjective US /kənˈsɪstənt/

(sometimes followed by “with”) in agreement or consistent or reliable

From this reading “If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.”

farthing noun US /ˈfɑːrðɪŋ/

a former British bronze coin worth a quarter of a penny

From this reading “In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.”

righteous adjective US /ˈraɪtʃəs/

characterized by or proceeding from accepted standards of morality or justice

From this reading “In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.”

substantial adjective US /səbˈstænʃəl/

of considerable importance, size, or worth

From this reading “In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.”

unimpeachable adjective US /ˌʌnɪmˈpiːtʃəbəl/

beyond doubt or reproach

From this reading “In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.”

utterance noun US /ˈʌtərəns/

the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication

From this reading “This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.”

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.

abide by verb + particle

act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes

In this reading “If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.”

given utterance adjective + noun

In this reading “This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.”

enter into verb + particle

In this reading “There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.”

many people adjective + noun

In this reading “There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.”

quite prepared adverb + adjective

In this reading “If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.”

ON DUTY preposition + noun

In this reading “ON DUTY.”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

abideverbUS /əˈbaɪd/

dwell

From this reading If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

altogetheradverbUS /ˌɔːltəˈɡeðər/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.

cannot

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

From this reading There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.

cleareradjectiveUS /ˈklɪrər/

comparative of “clear” — readily apparent to the mind

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

consistentadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪstənt/

(sometimes followed by “with”) in agreement or consistent or reliable

From this reading If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.

DUTYnounUS /ˈduːti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading ON DUTY.

enterverbUS /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.

farthingnounUS /ˈfɑːrðɪŋ/

a former British bronze coin worth a quarter of a penny

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

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 There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.

noon-day

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

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ON DUTY.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.

possiblyadverbUS /ˈpɑːsəbli/

by chance

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

preparedadjectiveUS /priˈperd/

made ready or fit or suitable beforehand

From this reading If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.

righteousadjectiveUS /ˈraɪtʃəs/

characterized by or proceeding from accepted standards of morality or justice

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

substantialadjectiveUS /səbˈstænʃəl/

of considerable importance, size, or worth

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

twiceadverbUS /twaɪs/

two times

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

unimpeachableadjectiveUS /ˌʌnɪmˈpiːtʃəbəl/

beyond doubt or reproach

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

utmostadjectiveUS /ˈʌtmoʊst/

of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

utterancenounUS /ˈʌtərəns/

the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication

From this reading This I have felt so often that now I may have given utterance to it once or possibly twice before.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading In all substantial things I am clearer than the noon-day sun itself; and, to the very utmost farthing, righteous and unimpeachable.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading There are many people who cannot enter into my meaning altogether.

whollyadverbUS /ˈhoʊli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading If so, you will find me consistent wholly, and quite prepared to abide by it.

Chapter 18 of The Maid of Sker by R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore holds 196 sentences, grouped into 40 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 18 of The Maid of Sker contain?

Chapter 18 holds 196 sentences of The Maid of Sker, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Maid of Sker by R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 196 sentences, grouped into 40 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 18 of The Maid of Sker?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 18 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Maid of Sker

Common questions about reading The Maid of Sker by R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Maid of Sker?

Yes. All 8068 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46156 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Maid of Sker is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #46156, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Maid of Sker take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1614 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Maid of Sker section by section

How to work through The Maid of Sker section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Maid of Sker 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 Maid of Sker

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Maid of Sker; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lorna
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Maid of Sker; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Doone
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Maid of Sker; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clara
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Maid of Sker; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.