Chapter 23 of The Room in the Dragon Volant is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of The Room in the Dragon Volant is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A CUP OF COFFEE The room was carpetless. On the floor were a quantity of shavings, and some score of bricks. Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright. I approached and drew from it a sheet which had very slightly disguised its shape. There was no mistake about it.
Chapter 23 of The Room in the Dragon Volant is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/16 · 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.
plural of “brick” — rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading “On the floor were a quantity of shavings, and some score of bricks.”
a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans
From this reading “A CUP OF COFFEE The room was carpetless.”
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading “A CUP OF COFFEE The room was carpetless.”
having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading
From this reading “I approached and drew from it a sheet which had very slightly disguised its shape.”
how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify
From this reading “On the floor were a quantity of shavings, and some score of bricks.”
a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading “On the floor were a quantity of shavings, and some score of bricks.”
plural of “shaving” — the act of removing hair with a razor
From this reading “On the floor were a quantity of shavings, and some score of bricks.”
any broad thin expanse or surface
From this reading “I approached and drew from it a sheet which had very slightly disguised its shape.”
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 A CUP OF COFFEE The room was carpetless.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There was no mistake about it.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On the floor were a quantity of shavings, and some score of bricks.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading I approached and drew from it a sheet which had very slightly disguised its shape.
in an accurate manner
From this reading Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright.
plural of “brick” — rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading On the floor were a quantity of shavings, and some score of bricks.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A CUP OF COFFEE The room was carpetless.
a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans
From this reading A CUP OF COFFEE The room was carpetless.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright.
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading A CUP OF COFFEE The room was carpetless.
having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading
From this reading I approached and drew from it a sheet which had very slightly disguised its shape.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading I approached and drew from it a sheet which had very slightly disguised its shape.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading On the floor were a quantity of shavings, and some score of bricks.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I approached and drew from it a sheet which had very slightly disguised its shape.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I approached and drew from it a sheet which had very slightly disguised its shape.
only a very short time before
From this reading Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I approached and drew from it a sheet which had very slightly disguised its shape.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading I approached and drew from it a sheet which had very slightly disguised its shape.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright.
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading There was no mistake about it.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no mistake about it.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A CUP OF COFFEE The room was carpetless.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On the floor were a quantity of shavings, and some score of bricks.
how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify
From this reading On the floor were a quantity of shavings, and some score of bricks.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading A CUP OF COFFEE The room was carpetless.
cut with a saw
From this reading Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright.
a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading On the floor were a quantity of shavings, and some score of bricks.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading I approached and drew from it a sheet which had very slightly disguised its shape.
plural of “shaving” — the act of removing hair with a razor
From this reading On the floor were a quantity of shavings, and some score of bricks.
any broad thin expanse or surface
From this reading I approached and drew from it a sheet which had very slightly disguised its shape.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading I approached and drew from it a sheet which had very slightly disguised its shape.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading On the floor were a quantity of shavings, and some score of bricks.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A CUP OF COFFEE The room was carpetless.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no mistake about it.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright.
precisely as stated
From this reading I approached and drew from it a sheet which had very slightly disguised its shape.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A CUP OF COFFEE The room was carpetless.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading On the floor were a quantity of shavings, and some score of bricks.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Beyond these, on a narrow table, lay an object which I could hardly believe I saw aright.
Chapter 23 of The Room in the Dragon Volant by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu holds 81 sentences, grouped into 17 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 23 holds 81 sentences of The Room in the Dragon Volant, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of The Room in the Dragon Volant by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 81 sentences, grouped into 17 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 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 17 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 23 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 Room in the Dragon Volant by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2578 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9502 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9502, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 214 minutes of reading across 516 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Room in the Dragon Volant section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Room in the Dragon Volant 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 Room in the Dragon Volant, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
