The Phantom Yacht

Chapter VII · The Phantom Yacht

Chapter VII of The Phantom Yacht, “The Phantom Yacht,” is here in full — 96 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Carol Norton • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Phantom Yacht

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

The waiting lad knew that the girls had something to tell, nor was he wrong.

“Oh, Gibralter, what do you think?”

Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter VII Reading 1/19

The Phantom Yacht

Chapter VII · The Phantom Yacht

Chapter VII of The Phantom Yacht, “The Phantom Yacht,” is here in full — 96 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

Line 2

It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

/ɪt wɑːz nɑːt jet dɔːn bʌt ə ˈroʊzi ɡloʊ ɪn ðə iːst əˈʃʊrd ðem ðæt ðə deɪ wɑːz nɪr/

Line 3

The waiting lad knew that the girls had something to tell, nor was he wrong.

/ðə ˈweɪtɪŋ læd nuː ðæt ðə ɡɜːrlz hæd ˈsʌmθɪŋ tuː tel nɔːr wɑːz hiː rɔːŋ/

Line 4

“Oh, Gibralter, what do you think?”

Line 5

Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

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.

disturb verb US /dɪˈstɜːrb/

move deeply

From this reading “Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.”

emerged verb US /ɪˈmɜːrdʒd/

past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment

From this reading “The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.”

glow noun US /ɡloʊ/

an alert and refreshed state

From this reading “It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.”

hurriedly adverb US /ˈhɜːridli/

in a hurried or hasty manner

From this reading “The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.”

porch noun US /pɔːrtʃ/

a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance

From this reading “The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.”

rosy adjective US /ˈroʊzi/

reflecting optimism

From this reading “It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.”

silently adverb US /ˈsaɪləntli/

without speaking

From this reading “The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.”

stairway noun US /ˈsterweɪ/

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

From this reading “The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

rosy glow adjective + noun

In this reading “It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.”

excited whisper adjective + noun

In this reading “Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.”

at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.”

without doubt preposition + noun

admittedly

In this reading “Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.”

emerged upon verb + particle counted as “emerge upon”

In this reading “The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.”

crept down verb + adjective counted as “creep down”

In this reading “The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.”

in the east preposition + article + noun counted as “in … east”

In this reading “It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.”

All words in this reading · 66

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 It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

asleepadjectiveUS /əˈsliːp/

in a state of sleep

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

assuredadjectiveUS /əˈʃʊrd/

marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

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

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

boarded-in

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

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

cottagenounUS /ˈkɑːtədʒ/

a small house with a single story

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

creptverbUS /krept/

inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

dawnnounUS /dɔːn/

the first light of day

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

disturbverbUS /dɪˈstɜːrb/

move deeply

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “Oh, Gibralter, what do you think?”

Dories

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

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

doubtnounUS /daʊt/

the state of being unsure of something

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

dressedadjectiveUS /drest/

dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

eastnounUS /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

emergedverbUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒd/

past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtəd/

(of persons) excessively affected by emotion

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

Gibralter

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

From this reading “Oh, Gibralter, what do you think?”

girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

glownounUS /ɡloʊ/

an alert and refreshed state

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

Great-Auntnoun

an aunt of your father or mother

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The waiting lad knew that the girls had something to tell, nor was he wrong.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The waiting lad knew that the girls had something to tell, nor was he wrong.

hurriedlyadverbUS /ˈhɜːridli/

in a hurried or hasty manner

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

Jane

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

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading The waiting lad knew that the girls had something to tell, nor was he wrong.

ladnounUS /læd/

a boy or man

From this reading The waiting lad knew that the girls had something to tell, nor was he wrong.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading The waiting lad knew that the girls had something to tell, nor was he wrong.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading “Oh, Gibralter, what do you think?”

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

porchnounUS /pɔːrtʃ/

a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

rosyadjectiveUS /ˈroʊzi/

reflecting optimism

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

silentlyadverbUS /ˈsaɪləntli/

without speaking

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading The waiting lad knew that the girls had something to tell, nor was he wrong.

stairwaynounUS /ˈsterweɪ/

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

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading The waiting lad knew that the girls had something to tell, nor was he wrong.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading “Oh, Gibralter, what do you think?”

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The waiting lad knew that the girls had something to tell, nor was he wrong.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The girls dressed hurriedly and silently, then crept down the boarded-in stairway and emerged upon the back porch of the cottage.

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading The waiting lad knew that the girls had something to tell, nor was he wrong.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “Oh, Gibralter, what do you think?”

whispernounUS /ˈwɪspər/

speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Dories began at once in an excited whisper that they might not disturb Great-Aunt Jane, who, without doubt, was still asleep.

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading The waiting lad knew that the girls had something to tell, nor was he wrong.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading It was not yet dawn, but a rosy glow in the east assured them that the day was near.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Oh, Gibralter, what do you think?”

Chapter 7 of The Phantom Yacht by Carol Norton holds 96 sentences, grouped into 20 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 7 of The Phantom Yacht contain?

Chapter 7 holds 96 sentences of The Phantom Yacht, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of The Phantom Yacht by Carol Norton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 96 sentences, grouped into 20 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 7 of The Phantom Yacht?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Phantom Yacht

Common questions about reading The Phantom Yacht by Carol Norton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Phantom Yacht?

Yes. All 3656 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44401 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Phantom Yacht is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #44401, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Phantom Yacht take to read?

About 304 minutes of reading across 732 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Phantom Yacht

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

Cried: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Phantom Yacht; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wantin: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Phantom Yacht; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Phantom: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Phantom Yacht; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Yacht: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Phantom Yacht; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter VII · The Phantom Yacht

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Can chapter 7 be read aloud to me?

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Vocabulary met early in The Phantom Yacht