Chapter 3 of The New Magdalen is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The New Magdalen is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A THIRD rifle-shot rang through the night air, close to the cottage. Grace started and approached the window in alarm. “What does that firing mean?” she asked. “Signals from the outposts,” the nurse quietly replied. “Is there any danger?
Chapter 3 of The New Magdalen is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/37 · 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.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading “Grace started and approached the window in alarm.”
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading “Grace started and approached the window in alarm.”
a small house with a single story
From this reading “A THIRD rifle-shot rang through the night air, close to the cottage.”
the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy
From this reading ““What does that firing mean?” she asked.”
try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury
From this reading ““Signals from the outposts,” the nurse quietly replied.”
plural of “outpost” — a station in a remote or sparsely populated location
From this reading ““Signals from the outposts,” the nurse quietly replied.”
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading “A THIRD rifle-shot rang through the night air, close to the cottage.”
plural of “signal” — any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading ““Signals from the outposts,” the nurse quietly replied.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A THIRD rifle-shot rang through the night air, close to the cottage.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading A THIRD rifle-shot rang through the night air, close to the cottage.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading Grace started and approached the window in alarm.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Grace started and approached the window in alarm.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading “Is there any danger?
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading Grace started and approached the window in alarm.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “What does that firing mean?” she asked.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading A THIRD rifle-shot rang through the night air, close to the cottage.
a small house with a single story
From this reading A THIRD rifle-shot rang through the night air, close to the cottage.
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading “Is there any danger?
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What does that firing mean?” she asked.
the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy
From this reading “What does that firing mean?” she asked.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “Signals from the outposts,” the nurse quietly replied.
(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
From this reading Grace started and approached the window in alarm.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Grace started and approached the window in alarm.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Is there any danger?
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading “What does that firing mean?” she asked.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading A THIRD rifle-shot rang through the night air, close to the cottage.
try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury
From this reading “Signals from the outposts,” the nurse quietly replied.
plural of “outpost” — a station in a remote or sparsely populated location
From this reading “Signals from the outposts,” the nurse quietly replied.
with low volume
From this reading “Signals from the outposts,” the nurse quietly replied.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading A THIRD rifle-shot rang through the night air, close to the cottage.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “Signals from the outposts,” the nurse quietly replied.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A THIRD rifle-shot rang through the night air, close to the cottage.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “What does that firing mean?” she asked.
plural of “signal” — any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading “Signals from the outposts,” the nurse quietly replied.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Grace started and approached the window in alarm.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “What does that firing mean?” she asked.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A THIRD rifle-shot rang through the night air, close to the cottage.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “Is there any danger?
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading A THIRD rifle-shot rang through the night air, close to the cottage.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading A THIRD rifle-shot rang through the night air, close to the cottage.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A THIRD rifle-shot rang through the night air, close to the cottage.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What does that firing mean?” she asked.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Grace started and approached the window in alarm.
Chapter 3 of The New Magdalen by Wilkie Collins holds 189 sentences, grouped into 38 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 3 holds 189 sentences of The New Magdalen, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The New Magdalen by Wilkie Collins exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 189 sentences, grouped into 38 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 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 38 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 3 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 New Magdalen by Wilkie Collins on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7416 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1623 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1623, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1484 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The New Magdalen section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of The New Magdalen 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 New Magdalen, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
