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The Patrician
The Patrician

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of The Patrician is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.
She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.
Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.
Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.
She was the bearer of a message.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Patrician

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of The Patrician is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.
Line 2
She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.
/ʃiː klaɪmd ˈsloʊli ɪn ðə ˈveri ˈmɪdəl æn ekˈstriːmli smɔːl waɪt ˈfɪɡjər ɑːn ðoʊz waɪd ənd ˈʃaɪnɪŋ sterz ˈkaʊntɪŋ ðem əˈlaʊd/
Line 3
Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.
/ðer ˈnʌmbər wɑːz ˈnevər əˈlaɪk tuː deɪz ˈrʌnɪŋ wɪtʃ meɪd ðem əˈtræktɪv tuː wʌn fɔːr huːm ˈnɑːvəlti wɑːz ðə sɔːlt ʌv laɪf/
Line 4
Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.
/ˈkʌmɪŋ tuː ðæt spɑːt wer ðeɪ bræntʃt ʃiː pɔːzd tuː kənˈsɪdər wɪtʃ ʌv ðə tuː flaɪts ʃiː hæd juːzd læst ənd əˈneɪbəl tuː rɪˈmɛm.bər sæt daʊn/
Line 5
She was the bearer of a message.
/ʃiː wɑːz ðə ˈberər ʌv ə ˈmesədʒ/

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.

ascent noun US /əˈsent/

an upward slope or grade (as in a road)

From this reading “At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.”

bearer noun US /ˈberər/

someone whose employment involves carrying something

From this reading “She was the bearer of a message.”

branched adjective US /bræntʃt/

resembling a fork; divided or separated into two branches

From this reading “Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.”

counting noun US /ˈkaʊntɪŋ/

the act of counting; reciting numbers in ascending order

From this reading “She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.”

flights noun US /flaɪts/

plural of “flight” — a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading “Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.”

nineteenth adjective US /ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the eighteenth in position

From this reading “At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.”

novelty noun US /ˈnɑːvəlti/

originality by virtue of being refreshingly novel

From this reading “Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.”

Valleys noun US /ˈvæliz/

plural of “valley” — a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading “At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 She was the bearer of a message.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

alikeadverbUS /əˈlaɪk/

equally

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

aloudadverbUS /əˈlaʊd/

using the voice; not silently

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

Ann

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

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

ascentnounUS /əˈsent/

an upward slope or grade (as in a road)

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

attractiveadjectiveUS /əˈtræktɪv/

pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

bearernounUS /ˈberər/

someone whose employment involves carrying something

From this reading She was the bearer of a message.

branchedadjectiveUS /bræntʃt/

resembling a fork; divided or separated into two branches

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

climbedverbUS /klaɪmd/

past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

ComingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

commencedverbUS /kəˈmenst/

past form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

considerverbUS /kənˈsɪdər/

deem to be

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

countingnounUS /ˈkaʊntɪŋ/

the act of counting; reciting numbers in ascending order

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

extremelyadverbUS /ekˈstriːmli/

to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

flightsnounUS /flaɪts/

plural of “flight” — a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

HousenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

JulynounUS /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/

the month following June and preceding August

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

mainadjectiveUS /meɪn/

most important element

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

messagenounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading She was the bearer of a message.

middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

nineteenthadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the eighteenth in position

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

noveltynounUS /ˈnɑːvəlti/

originality by virtue of being refreshingly novel

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

numbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

pausedverbUS /pɔːzd/

past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

runningadjectiveUS /ˈrʌnɪŋ/

(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

saltnounUS /sɔːlt/

a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

shiningadjectiveUS /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/

marked by exceptional merit

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

Shropton

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

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

spotnounUS /spɑːt/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

staircasenounUS /ˈsterkeɪs/

a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

stairsnounUS /sterz/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

TheirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

unableadjectiveUS /əˈneɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

ValleysnounUS /ˈvæliz/

plural of “valley” — a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading At three o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth of July little Ann Shropton commenced the ascent of the main staircase of Valleys House, London.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Coming to that spot where they branched, she paused to consider which of the two flights she had used last, and unable to remember, sat down.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Their number was never alike two days running, which made them attractive to one for whom novelty was the salt of life.

wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading She climbed slowly, in the very middle, an extremely small white figure on those wide and shining stairs, counting them aloud.

Chapter 18 of The Patrician by John Galsworthy holds 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 18 of The Patrician contain?

Chapter 18 holds 132 sentences of The Patrician, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Patrician by John Galsworthy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 18 of The Patrician?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 18 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Patrician

Common questions about reading The Patrician by John Galsworthy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Patrician?

Yes. All 5331 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2774 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Patrician is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2774, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Patrician take to read?

About 444 minutes of reading across 1067 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Patrician section by section

How to work through The Patrician 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 Patrician

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

Light
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Patrician; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Entering
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Patrician; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Carved
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Patrician; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ceiling
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Patrician; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.