Chapter 20 of The Pagan Madonna is here in full — 454 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The Pagan Madonna is here in full — 454 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Jane and Dennison were alone. "I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?" "The way he hugs his word! Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him! He's mad, Denny, absolutely mad!
Chapter 20 of The Pagan Madonna is here in full — 454 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/90 · 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.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading “He's mad, Denny, absolutely mad!”
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading “"I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"”
with boldness, in a bold manner
From this reading “Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!”
-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading “Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!”
plural of “hug” — a tight or amorous embrace
From this reading “"The way he hugs his word!”
A terrifying or distressing dream.
From this reading “"I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"”
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading “Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!”
spotlessly clean and fresh
From this reading “Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!”
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 Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading He's mad, Denny, absolutely mad!
Having no one else present.
From this reading Jane and Dennison were alone.
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Jane and Dennison were alone.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading "I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"
with boldness, in a bold manner
From this reading Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!
-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jane and Dennison were alone.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He's mad, Denny, absolutely mad!
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading "I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He's mad, Denny, absolutely mad!
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "The way he hugs his word!
plural of “hug” — a tight or amorous embrace
From this reading "The way he hugs his word!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jane and Dennison were alone.
roused to anger
From this reading He's mad, Denny, absolutely mad!
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!
in a disrespectful jeering manner
From this reading Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!
A terrifying or distressing dream.
From this reading "I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"
Identical; not different.
From this reading "I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"
spotlessly clean and fresh
From this reading Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "The way he hugs his word!
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Jane and Dennison were alone.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Imagine a man stepping boldly and mockingly outside the pale, and carrying along his word unsullied with him!
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading "I wonder," he said, "are we two awake, or are we having the same nightmare?"
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading "The way he hugs his word!
Chapter 20 of The Pagan Madonna by Harold MacGrath holds 454 sentences, grouped into 91 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 20 holds 454 sentences of The Pagan Madonna, unabridged, divided into 91 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The Pagan Madonna by Harold MacGrath exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 454 sentences, grouped into 91 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 91 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 91 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 20 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 Pagan Madonna by Harold MacGrath on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5543 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27339 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #27339, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 461 minutes of reading across 1109 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Pagan Madonna section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Pagan Madonna 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 Pagan Madonna, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
