Chapter XVIII of The Mystery of the Fires, “_Return_,” is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XVIII of The Mystery of the Fires, “_Return_,” is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached. Suddenly their expressions of listlessness changed to incredulity--then to rapture. Mary Louise was home! In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once. Mrs. Gay could only gasp in her happiness.
Chapter XVIII of The Mystery of the Fires, “_Return_,” is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
plural of “expression” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading “Suddenly their expressions of listlessness changed to incredulity--then to rapture.”
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading “In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.”
a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
From this reading “Mrs. Gay could only gasp in her happiness.”
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading “Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.”
affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)
From this reading “In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.”
doubt about the truth of something
From this reading “Suddenly their expressions of listlessness changed to incredulity--then to rapture.”
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading “In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.”
a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion
From this reading “Suddenly their expressions of listlessness changed to incredulity--then to rapture.”
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.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
In this reading “In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.”
seek information from
In this reading “Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.”
In this reading “In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.”
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.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading Suddenly their expressions of listlessness changed to incredulity--then to rapture.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Mrs. Gay could only gasp in her happiness.
in grief-stricken loneliness; without comforting circumstances or prospects
From this reading Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.
plural of “expression” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading Suddenly their expressions of listlessness changed to incredulity--then to rapture.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.
a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
From this reading Mrs. Gay could only gasp in her happiness.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.
a young female
From this reading In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.
state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
From this reading Mrs. Gay could only gasp in her happiness.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Gay could only gasp in her happiness.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Mary Louise was home!
affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)
From this reading In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.
doubt about the truth of something
From this reading Suddenly their expressions of listlessness changed to incredulity--then to rapture.
a feeling of lack of interest or energy
From this reading Suddenly their expressions of listlessness changed to incredulity--then to rapture.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mary Louise was home!
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading Mary Louise was home!
a form of address for a man
From this reading Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Suddenly their expressions of listlessness changed to incredulity--then to rapture.
on one occasion
From this reading In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.
and nothing more
From this reading Mrs. Gay could only gasp in her happiness.
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.
a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion
From this reading Suddenly their expressions of listlessness changed to incredulity--then to rapture.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading In another second the girl had flown up the steps and was hugging both parents at once.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Suddenly their expressions of listlessness changed to incredulity--then to rapture.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Suddenly their expressions of listlessness changed to incredulity--then to rapture.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Suddenly their expressions of listlessness changed to incredulity--then to rapture.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Suddenly their expressions of listlessness changed to incredulity--then to rapture.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Both Mr. and Mrs. Gay looked up disconsolately as the green car approached.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mary Louise was home!
Chapter 18 of The Mystery of the Fires by Edith Lavell holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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.
Chapter 18 holds 161 sentences of The Mystery of the Fires, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of The Mystery of the Fires by Edith Lavell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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.
Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 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.
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.
Common questions about reading The Mystery of the Fires by Edith Lavell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3903 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43583 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43583, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 325 minutes of reading across 781 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Mystery of the Fires section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of The Mystery of the Fires to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Mystery of the Fires, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
