Chapter 27 of The Return is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVII
Chapter 27 of The Return is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
‘No knock, no footstep, ma’am, that I’ve heard. It’s Dr Ferguson, ma’am. He was here that first night; and he’s been here ever since. He was here when I came on Tuesday; and he was here last night. And he’s here now.
Chapter 27 of The Return is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
at any time
From this reading “He was here that first night; and he’s been here ever since.”
the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading “‘No knock, no footstep, ma’am, that I’ve heard.”
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading “‘No knock, no footstep, ma’am, that I’ve heard.”
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading “‘No knock, no footstep, ma’am, that I’ve heard.”
a woman of refinement
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading “He was here that first night; and he’s been here ever since.”
from a time in the past until now
From this reading “He was here that first night; and he’s been here ever since.”
the third day of the week; the second working day
From this reading “He was here when I came on Tuesday; and he was here last night.”
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 He was here that first night; and he’s been here ever since.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He was here that first night; and he’s been here ever since.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He was here when I came on Tuesday; and he was here last night.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It’s Dr Ferguson, ma’am.
at any time
From this reading He was here that first night; and he’s been here ever since.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It’s Dr Ferguson, ma’am.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading He was here that first night; and he’s been here ever since.
the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading ‘No knock, no footstep, ma’am, that I’ve heard.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was here that first night; and he’s been here ever since.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was here that first night; and he’s been here ever since.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading ‘No knock, no footstep, ma’am, that I’ve heard.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading He was here that first night; and he’s been here ever since.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading He was here when I came on Tuesday; and he was here last night.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘No knock, no footstep, ma’am, that I’ve heard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It’s Dr Ferguson, ma’am.
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading ‘No knock, no footstep, ma’am, that I’ve heard.
immediately past
From this reading He was here when I came on Tuesday; and he was here last night.
a woman of refinement
From this reading ‘No knock, no footstep, ma’am, that I’ve heard.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading He was here that first night; and he’s been here ever since.
not any; not one
From this reading ‘No knock, no footstep, ma’am, that I’ve heard.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And he’s here now.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He was here when I came on Tuesday; and he was here last night.
from a time in the past until now
From this reading He was here that first night; and he’s been here ever since.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ‘No knock, no footstep, ma’am, that I’ve heard.
the third day of the week; the second working day
From this reading He was here when I came on Tuesday; and he was here last night.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was here that first night; and he’s been here ever since.
at the time that
From this reading He was here when I came on Tuesday; and he was here last night.
Chapter 27 of The Return by Walter De la Mare holds 205 sentences, grouped into 41 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 27 holds 205 sentences of The Return, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 27 of The Return by Walter De la Mare exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 205 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 27 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 Return by Walter De la Mare on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5551 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3075 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3075, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 462 minutes of reading across 1111 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Return section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Return 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 Return, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
