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The Mistress of Shenstone
The Mistress of Shenstone

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of The Mistress of Shenstone is here in full — 30 sentences across 6 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Florence L. (Florence Louisa) Barclay • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Mistress of Shenstone
Context Illustration Reading 1/6 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.
The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.
The wind had risen as the sun set, and breakers were beginning to pound along the shore.
Suddenly something caught his eye, far down below.
"By Jove!" he said.
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 Mistress of Shenstone

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of The Mistress of Shenstone is here in full — 30 sentences across 6 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/6 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.
Line 2
The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.
Line 3
The wind had risen as the sun set, and breakers were beginning to pound along the shore.
/ðə waɪnd hæd ˈrɪzən æz ðə sʌn set ənd ˈbreɪkərz wɜːr bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ tuː paʊnd əˈlɔːŋ ðə ʃɔːr/
Line 4
Suddenly something caught his eye, far down below.
/ˈsʌdənli ˈsʌmθɪŋ kɑːt hɪz aɪ fɑːr daʊn bɪˈloʊ/
Line 5
"By Jove!" he said.

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.

blackbird noun US /ˈblækbərd/

any bird of the family Icteridae whose male is black or predominantly black

From this reading “JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breakers noun US /ˈbreɪkərz/

waves breaking on the shore

From this reading “The wind had risen as the sun set, and breakers were beginning to pound along the shore.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cliffs noun US /klɪfs/

plural of “cliff” — a steep high face of rock

From this reading “JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heaving noun US /ˈhiːvɪŋ/

an upward movement (especially a rhythmical rising and falling)

From this reading “The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
opal noun US /ˈoʊpəl/

a translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica of variable color; some varieties are used as gemstones

From this reading “The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pound verb US /paʊnd/

hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument

From this reading “The wind had risen as the sun set, and breakers were beginning to pound along the shore.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tints noun US /tɪnts/

plural of “tint” — a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color

From this reading “The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whistling noun US /ˈwɪslɪŋ/

the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture

From this reading “JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.”

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.

along the shore preposition + article + noun counted as “along … shore”

In this reading “The wind had risen as the sun set, and breakers were beginning to pound along the shore.”

4,394 times in 426,211 chapters
along the path preposition + article + noun counted as “along … path”

In this reading “JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.”

2,790 times in 426,211 chapters
swung along verb + particle counted as “swing along”

In this reading “JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.”

365 times in 426,211 chapters
far down adverb + adjective

In this reading “Suddenly something caught his eye, far down below.”

4,712 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 57

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 JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AIRTH

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

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

Pending verification
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AndeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading The wind had risen as the sun set, and breakers were beginning to pound along the shore.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading Suddenly something caught his eye, far down below.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
blackbirdnounUS /ˈblækbərd/

any bird of the family Icteridae whose male is black or predominantly black

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breakersnounUS /ˈbreɪkərz/

waves breaking on the shore

From this reading The wind had risen as the sun set, and breakers were beginning to pound along the shore.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "By Jove!" he said.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading Suddenly something caught his eye, far down below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cliffsnounUS /klɪfs/

plural of “cliff” — a steep high face of rock

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crimsonadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪmzən/

of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Suddenly something caught his eye, far down below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

From this reading Suddenly something caught his eye, far down below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Suddenly something caught his eye, far down below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goldnounUS /ɡoʊld/

coins made of gold

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

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

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

From this reading The wind had risen as the sun set, and breakers were beginning to pound along the shore.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heavingnounUS /ˈhiːvɪŋ/

an upward movement (especially a rhythmical rising and falling)

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Suddenly something caught his eye, far down below.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JIM

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

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

Pending verification
Jovenoun

(Roman mythology) supreme god of Romans; counterpart of Greek Zeus

From this reading "By Jove!" he said.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
opalnounUS /ˈoʊpəl/

a translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica of variable color; some varieties are used as gemstones

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pathnounUS /pæθ/

a course of conduct

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
poundverbUS /paʊnd/

hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument

From this reading The wind had risen as the sun set, and breakers were beginning to pound along the shore.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RESCUEverbUS /ˈreskjuː/

free from harm or evil

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
revelled

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

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

Pending verification
risenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪzən/

(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon

From this reading The wind had risen as the sun set, and breakers were beginning to pound along the shore.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "By Jove!" he said.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seanounUS /siː/

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

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The wind had risen as the sun set, and breakers were beginning to pound along the shore.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
settingnounUS /ˈsetɪŋ/

the context and environment in which something is set

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shorenounUS /ʃɔːr/

the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading The wind had risen as the sun set, and breakers were beginning to pound along the shore.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Suddenly something caught his eye, far down below.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
SuddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading Suddenly something caught his eye, far down below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
summitnounUS /ˈsʌmət/

the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sunnounUS /sʌn/

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

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
swungverbUS /swʌŋ/

inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

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 JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tintsnounUS /tɪnts/

plural of “tint” — a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The sun was setting; and, as he walked, he revelled in the gold and crimson of the sky; in the opal tints upon the heaving sea.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The wind had risen as the sun set, and breakers were beginning to pound along the shore.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whistlingnounUS /ˈwɪslɪŋ/

the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture

From this reading JIM AIRTH TO THE RESCUE An hour later, a man swung along the path at the summit of the cliffs, whistling like a blackbird.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading The wind had risen as the sun set, and breakers were beginning to pound along the shore.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 9 of The Mistress of Shenstone by Florence L. (Florence Louisa) Barclay holds 30 sentences, grouped into 6 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 9 of The Mistress of Shenstone contain?

Chapter 9 holds 30 sentences of The Mistress of Shenstone, unabridged, divided into 6 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of The Mistress of Shenstone by Florence L. (Florence Louisa) Barclay exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 30 sentences, grouped into 6 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 9 of The Mistress of Shenstone?

Work through the 6 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 6 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Mistress of Shenstone

Common questions about reading The Mistress of Shenstone by Florence L. (Florence Louisa) Barclay on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Mistress of Shenstone?

Yes. All 3889 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26235 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Mistress of Shenstone is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26235, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mistress of Shenstone take to read?

About 324 minutes of reading across 778 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Mistress of Shenstone section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Mistress of Shenstone

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

Three
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mistress of Shenstone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
O'clock
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mistress of Shenstone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Afternoon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mistress of Shenstone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Early
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mistress of Shenstone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.