Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Mosstrooper
The Mosstrooper

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Mosstrooper is here in full — 167 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Mosstrooper
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“’Tis he!
’tis he himself!
It is my son.”
--_Douglas._ What a cry that was--“Would you slay your son?”
Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?
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 Mosstrooper

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Mosstrooper is here in full — 167 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“’Tis he!
/tɪz hiː/
Line 2
’tis he himself!
/tɪz hiː hɪmˈself/
Line 3
It is my son.”
/ɪt ɪz maɪ sʌn/
Line 4
--_Douglas._ What a cry that was--“Would you slay your son?”
Line 5
Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

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.

childless adjective US /ˈtʃaɪldləs/

without offspring

From this reading “Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?”

dagger noun US /ˈdæɡ.ər/

A short knife with a pointed and edged blade, used as a stealth weapon.

From this reading “Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?”

Douglas noun US /ˈdʌɡləs/

United States politician who proposed that individual territories be allowed to decide whether they would have slavery; he engaged in a famous series of debates with Abraham Lincoln (1813-1861)

illustrious adjective US /ˌɪˈlʌstriəs/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading “Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?”

infant noun US /ˈɪnfənt/

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading “Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?”

lamented adjective US /ləˈmentɪd/

mourned or grieved for

From this reading “Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?”

plunge verb US /plʌndʒ/

thrust or throw into

From this reading “Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?”

slay verb US /sleɪ/

kill intentionally and with premeditation

From this reading “--_Douglas._ What a cry that was--“Would you slay your son?””

All words in this reading · 45

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 --_Douglas._ What a cry that was--“Would you slay your son?”

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

breastnounUS /brest/

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

childlessadjectiveUS /ˈtʃaɪldləs/

without offspring

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

cryverbUS /kraɪ/

utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading --_Douglas._ What a cry that was--“Would you slay your son?”

daggernounUS /ˈdæɡ.ər/

A short knife with a pointed and edged blade, used as a stealth weapon.

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

DouglasnounUS /ˈdʌɡləs/

United States politician who proposed that individual territories be allowed to decide whether they would have slavery; he engaged in a famous series of debates with Abraham Lincoln (1813-1861)

From this reading --_Douglas._ What a cry that was--“Would you slay your son?”

fatenounUS /feɪt/

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

Hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading “’Tis he!

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

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

From this reading ’tis he himself!

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

illustriousadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈlʌstriəs/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

infantnounUS /ˈɪnfənt/

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is my son.”

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is my son.”

knightnounUS /naɪt/

originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

lamentedadjectiveUS /ləˈmentɪd/

mourned or grieved for

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

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 Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading It is my son.”

nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/

impressive in appearance

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

plungeverbUS /plʌndʒ/

thrust or throw into

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

proudadjectiveUS /praʊd/

feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

slayverbUS /sleɪ/

kill intentionally and with premeditation

From this reading --_Douglas._ What a cry that was--“Would you slay your son?”

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading It is my son.”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading --_Douglas._ What a cry that was--“Would you slay your son?”

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

TisnounUS /tɪz/

plural of “ti” — a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite

From this reading “’Tis he!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

Warkcliff

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

From this reading Had the proud, noble, childless knight of Warkcliff--the last of his illustrious line--lamented the fate of the lost infant so long, and now was about to plunge his dagger into the breast of that very child?

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading --_Douglas._ What a cry that was--“Would you slay your son?”

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading --_Douglas._ What a cry that was--“Would you slay your son?”

Wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading --_Douglas._ What a cry that was--“Would you slay your son?”

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading --_Douglas._ What a cry that was--“Would you slay your son?”

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading --_Douglas._ What a cry that was--“Would you slay your son?”

Chapter 15 of The Mosstrooper by Robert Scott Fittis holds 167 sentences, grouped into 34 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 15 of The Mosstrooper contain?

Chapter 15 holds 167 sentences of The Mosstrooper, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Mosstrooper by Robert Scott Fittis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 167 sentences, grouped into 34 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 15 of The Mosstrooper?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Mosstrooper

Common questions about reading The Mosstrooper by Robert Scott Fittis on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Mosstrooper?

Yes. All 1560 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41323 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Mosstrooper is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #41323, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mosstrooper take to read?

About 130 minutes of reading across 312 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Mosstrooper section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Mosstrooper 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 Mosstrooper

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

Memorial
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mosstrooper; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Volume
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mosstrooper; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mosstrooper
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mosstrooper; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Legend
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mosstrooper; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.