Chapter 12 of The Romance of a Shop is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The Romance of a Shop is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
GERTRUDE IS ANXIOUS. _Lady, do you know the tune? Ah, we all of us have hummed it! I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY. When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
Chapter 12 of The Romance of a Shop is here in full — 86 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/17 · 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.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading “When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.”
marked by continuous change or effective action
From this reading “I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.”
a stringed instrument usually having six strings; played by strumming or plucking
From this reading “I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.”
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading “I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.”
graphic art consisting of an artistic composition made by applying paints to a surface
From this reading “When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.”
English poet (1554-1586)
From this reading “When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.”
English writer (born in India) (1811-1863)
From this reading “I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.”
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading “_Lady, do you know the tune?”
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.
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 I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ah, we all of us have hummed it!
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Ah, we all of us have hummed it!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
eagerly desirous
From this reading GERTRUDE IS ANXIOUS.
marked by continuous change or effective action
From this reading I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading _Lady, do you know the tune?
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading GERTRUDE IS ANXIOUS.
a stringed instrument usually having six strings; played by strumming or plucking
From this reading I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Ah, we all of us have hummed it!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ah, we all of us have hummed it!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading GERTRUDE IS ANXIOUS.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Ah, we all of us have hummed it!
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading _Lady, do you know the tune?
a polite name for any woman
From this reading _Lady, do you know the tune?
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Ah, we all of us have hummed it!
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
graphic art consisting of an artistic composition made by applying paints to a surface
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
cut with a saw
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
English poet (1554-1586)
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
English writer (born in India) (1811-1863)
From this reading I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Lady, do you know the tune?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading _Lady, do you know the tune?
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading I've an old guitar has thrummed it Under many a changing moon._ THACKERAY.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Ah, we all of us have hummed it!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Ah, we all of us have hummed it!
at the time that
From this reading When Frank next saw Sidney Darrell, the latter told him that he had abandoned the idea of the "Cressida," and was painting Phyllis Lorimer in her own character.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading _Lady, do you know the tune?
Chapter 12 of The Romance of a Shop by Amy Levy holds 86 sentences, grouped into 18 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 12 holds 86 sentences of The Romance of a Shop, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Romance of a Shop by Amy Levy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 86 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 12 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 Romance of a Shop by Amy Levy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2747 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #57447 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #57447, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 228 minutes of reading across 550 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Romance of a Shop section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Romance of a Shop 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 Romance of a Shop, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
