Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Rocks of Valpré
The Rocks of Valpré

Chapter XXXIII · Chapter 33

Chapter 33 of The Rocks of Valpré is here in full — 276 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Rocks of Valpré
Context Illustration Reading 1/55 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A MIDNIGHT VISITOR It was a dark, wet night.
The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.
It had rained for hours.
Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.
He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Rocks of Valpré

Chapter XXXIII · Chapter 33

Chapter 33 of The Rocks of Valpré is here in full — 276 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/55 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A MIDNIGHT VISITOR It was a dark, wet night.
/ə ˈmɪdnaɪt ˈvɪzɪtər ɪt wɑːz ə dɑːrk wet naɪt/
Line 2
The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.
Line 3
It had rained for hours.
/ɪt hæd reɪnd fɔːr ˈaʊərz/
Line 4
Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.
Line 5
He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.
/hiː hæd ərˈaɪvd ɪn taʊn ðæt ˌæftərˈnuːn tuː meɪk ə fjuː ˈnesəseri ərˈeɪndʒmənts bɪˈfɔːr ˈliːvɪŋ ˈɪŋɡlənd/

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.

arrangements noun US /ərˈeɪndʒmənts/

plural of “arrangement” — the thing arranged or agreed to

From this reading “He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downpour noun US /ˈdaʊnpɔːr/

a heavy rain

From this reading “Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gutters noun US /ˈɡʌtərz/

plural of “gutter” — a channel along the eaves or on the roof; collects and carries away rainwater

From this reading “The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pattered verb US /ˈpætərd/

past form of “patter” — rain gently

From this reading “The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pavement noun US /ˈpeɪvmənt/

the paved surface of a thoroughfare

From this reading “The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rained verb US /reɪnd/

past form of “rain” — precipitate as rain

From this reading “It had rained for hours.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
streamed verb US /striːmd/

past form of “stream” — to extend, wave or float outward, as if in the wind

From this reading “The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
visitor noun US /ˈvɪzɪtər/

someone who visits

From this reading “A MIDNIGHT VISITOR It was a dark, wet night.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 53

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 A MIDNIGHT VISITOR It was a dark, wet night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

Velmora curated lexicon
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
arrangementsnounUS /ərˈeɪndʒmənts/

plural of “arrangement” — the thing arranged or agreed to

From this reading He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading A MIDNIGHT VISITOR It was a dark, wet night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desolatelyadverb

in grief-stricken loneliness; without comforting circumstances or prospects

From this reading The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downpournounUS /ˈdaʊnpɔːr/

a heavy rain

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
emptyverbUS /ˈempti/

make void or empty of contents

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flungverbUS /flʌŋ/

inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It had rained for hours.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
guttersnounUS /ˈɡʌtərz/

plural of “gutter” — a channel along the eaves or on the roof; collects and carries away rainwater

From this reading The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It had rained for hours.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading It had rained for hours.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading A MIDNIGHT VISITOR It was a dark, wet night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MIDNIGHTnounUS /ˈmɪdnaɪt/

12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night

From this reading A MIDNIGHT VISITOR It was a dark, wet night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mordaunt

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

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

Pending verification
necessaryadjectiveUS /ˈnesəseri/

absolutely essential

From this reading He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading A MIDNIGHT VISITOR It was a dark, wet night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
patteredverbUS /ˈpætərd/

past form of “patter” — rain gently

From this reading The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pavementnounUS /ˈpeɪvmənt/

the paved surface of a thoroughfare

From this reading The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pipenounUS /paɪp/

a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rainnounUS /reɪn/

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rainedverbUS /reɪnd/

past form of “rain” — precipitate as rain

From this reading It had rained for hours.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
satnounUS /sæt/

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

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
streamedverbUS /striːmd/

past form of “stream” — to extend, wave or float outward, as if in the wind

From this reading The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
teethnounUS /tiːθ/

the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The rain streamed from the gutters and pattered desolately on the pavement below.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading He had arrived in town that afternoon to make a few necessary arrangements before leaving England.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Trevor

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

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

Pending verification
VISITORnounUS /ˈvɪzɪtər/

someone who visits

From this reading A MIDNIGHT VISITOR It was a dark, wet night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A MIDNIGHT VISITOR It was a dark, wet night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wetadjectiveUS /wet/

covered or soaked with a liquid such as water

From this reading A MIDNIGHT VISITOR It was a dark, wet night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

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

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Trevor Mordaunt sat alone, with a pipe between his teeth, his windows flung wide to the empty street, and listened to the downpour.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 33 of The Rocks of Valpré by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell holds 276 sentences, grouped into 56 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 33 of The Rocks of Valpré contain?

Chapter 33 holds 276 sentences of The Rocks of Valpré, unabridged, divided into 56 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 33 of The Rocks of Valpré by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 276 sentences, grouped into 56 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 33 of The Rocks of Valpré?

Work through the 56 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 56 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 33 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 33 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 Rocks of Valpré

Common questions about reading The Rocks of Valpré by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Rocks of Valpré?

Yes. All 13142 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13547 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Rocks of Valpré is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #13547, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Rocks of Valpré take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2629 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Rocks of Valpré section by section

How to work through The Rocks of Valpré section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Rocks of Valpré to begin.

  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 Rocks of Valpré

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

Rocks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rocks of Valpré; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stranger
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rocks of Valpré; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Careless
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rocks of Valpré; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Speed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rocks of Valpré; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.