Chapter 13 of The Rocks of Valpré is here in full — 192 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of The Rocks of Valpré is here in full — 192 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell. Out of it almost immediately came Bertrand's voice. "Ah, Mr. Mordaunt, you return to find a visitor. Miss--Wyndham is here. She came to seek you, but she found only--" he spread out his hands characteristically--"the organ-grinder."
Chapter 13 of The Rocks of Valpré is here in full — 192 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/38 · 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.
in characteristic manner
From this reading “She came to seek you, but she found only--" he spread out his hands characteristically--"the organ-grinder."”
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading “THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.”
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading “THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.”
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading “THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.”
try to get or reach
From this reading “She came to seek you, but she found only--" he spread out his hands characteristically--"the organ-grinder."”
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading “She came to seek you, but she found only--" he spread out his hands characteristically--"the organ-grinder."”
so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm
From this reading “THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.”
someone who visits
From this reading “"Ah, Mr. Mordaunt, you return to find a visitor.”
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 THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ah, Mr. Mordaunt, you return to find a visitor.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Out of it almost immediately came Bertrand's voice.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Out of it almost immediately came Bertrand's voice.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Out of it almost immediately came Bertrand's voice.
in characteristic manner
From this reading She came to seek you, but she found only--" he spread out his hands characteristically--"the organ-grinder."
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading "Ah, Mr. Mordaunt, you return to find a visitor.
set up or found
From this reading She came to seek you, but she found only--" he spread out his hands characteristically--"the organ-grinder."
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading She came to seek you, but she found only--" he spread out his hands characteristically--"the organ-grinder."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She came to seek you, but she found only--" he spread out his hands characteristically--"the organ-grinder."
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Miss--Wyndham is here.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Out of it almost immediately came Bertrand's voice.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Miss--Wyndham is here.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Out of it almost immediately came Bertrand's voice.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Miss--Wyndham is here.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ah, Mr. Mordaunt, you return to find a visitor.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Ah, Mr. Mordaunt, you return to find a visitor.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Out of it almost immediately came Bertrand's voice.
and nothing more
From this reading She came to seek you, but she found only--" he spread out his hands characteristically--"the organ-grinder."
a street musician who plays a hand organ or hurdy-gurdy
From this reading She came to seek you, but she found only--" he spread out his hands characteristically--"the organ-grinder."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Out of it almost immediately came Bertrand's voice.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading "Ah, Mr. Mordaunt, you return to find a visitor.
try to get or reach
From this reading She came to seek you, but she found only--" he spread out his hands characteristically--"the organ-grinder."
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She came to seek you, but she found only--" he spread out his hands characteristically--"the organ-grinder."
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading She came to seek you, but she found only--" he spread out his hands characteristically--"the organ-grinder."
so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
in or at that place or location
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Ah, Mr. Mordaunt, you return to find a visitor.
someone who visits
From this reading "Ah, Mr. Mordaunt, you return to find a visitor.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Out of it almost immediately came Bertrand's voice.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Miss--Wyndham is here.
but in spite of that
From this reading THE EXPLANATION There was nothing hurried in his entrance, nothing startling; but yet a sudden silence fell.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Ah, Mr. Mordaunt, you return to find a visitor.
Chapter 13 of The Rocks of Valpré by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell holds 192 sentences, grouped into 39 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 13 holds 192 sentences of The Rocks of Valpré, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of The Rocks of Valpré by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 192 sentences, grouped into 39 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 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 39 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 13 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 Rocks of Valpré by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 13142 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13547 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13547, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2629 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Rocks of Valpré section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Rocks of Valpré 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 Rocks of Valpré, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
