The Salamander

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of The Salamander is here in full — 262 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Owen Johnson • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

Judge Massingale saw her with a feeling of profound relief.

Whatever came now, the responsibility lay on her head, not on his.

Just how completely one memory had filled his days he did not realize until he experienced a sudden excited calm at the thought that she was there by his side, and that the long weeks of struggle had been in vain.

For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XIX Reading 1/52

The Salamander Owen Johnson

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of The Salamander is here in full — 262 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement. Judge Massingale saw her with a feeling of profound relief. Whatever came now, the responsibility lay on her head, not on his. Just how completely one memory had filled his days he did not realize until he experienced a sudden excited calm at the thought that she was there by his side, and that the long weeks of struggle had been in vain. For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

The Salamander

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of The Salamander is here in full — 262 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/52 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

Line 2

Judge Massingale saw her with a feeling of profound relief.

Line 3

Whatever came now, the responsibility lay on her head, not on his.

/ˌwʌˈtevər keɪm naʊ ðə riˌspɑːnsəˈbɪləti leɪ ɑːn hɜːr hed nɑːt ɑːn hɪz/

Line 4

Line 5

For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

/fɔːr hiː tuː hæd ˈstrʌɡəld əˈɡenst ˈevəri ˈɪnstɪŋkt ɪn hɪm wɔːrnd baɪ hɪz klɪr ənd ˌænəˈlɪtɪkəl breɪn ðæt hɪz hændz wɜːr ɑːn ðə ˈkɜːrtənz ʌv ə ˈperələs ənd fərˈbɪd.ən ædˈventʃər/

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.

analytical adjective US /ˌænəˈlɪtɪkəl/

using or skilled in using analysis (i.e., separating a whole--intellectual or substantial--into its elemental parts or basic principles)

From this reading “For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.”

curtains noun US /ˈkɜːrtənz/

plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)

From this reading “For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.”

discouragement noun US /dɪˈskɜːrɪdʒmənt/

the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles

From this reading “Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.”

forbidden adjective US /fərˈbɪd.ən/

Not allowed; banned or prohibited by rule or law.

From this reading “For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.”

perception noun US /pərˈsepʃən/

the representation of what is perceived; basic component in the formation of a concept

From this reading “Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.”

perilous adjective US /ˈperələs/

fraught with danger

From this reading “For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.”

responsibility noun US /riˌspɑːnsəˈbɪləti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading “Whatever came now, the responsibility lay on her head, not on his.”

struggled verb US /ˈstrʌɡəld/

past form of “struggle” — make a strenuous or labored effort

From this reading “For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

struggled against verb + particle counted as “struggle against”

In this reading “For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.”

on entering preposition + noun

In this reading “Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.”

lay on verb + particle

In this reading “Whatever came now, the responsibility lay on her head, not on his.”

warned by verb + particle counted as “warn by”

In this reading “For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.”

with a feeling preposition + article + noun counted as “with … feeling”

In this reading “Judge Massingale saw her with a feeling of profound relief.”

All words in this reading · 78

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 Judge Massingale saw her with a feeling of profound relief.

adventureverbUS /ædˈventʃər/

take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

analyticaladjectiveUS /ˌænəˈlɪtɪkəl/

using or skilled in using analysis (i.e., separating a whole--intellectual or substantial--into its elemental parts or basic principles)

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Just how completely one memory had filled his days he did not realize until he experienced a sudden excited calm at the thought that she was there by his side, and that the long weeks of struggle had been in vain.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

brainnounUS /breɪn/

that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

calmverbUS /kɑːm/

make calm or still

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Whatever came now, the responsibility lay on her head, not on his.

clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

completelyadverbUS /kəmˈpliːtli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

courtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/

plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

discouragementnounUS /dɪˈskɜːrɪdʒmənt/

the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

Dore

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

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

enteringnounUS /ˈentərɪŋ/

a movement into or inward

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtəd/

(of persons) excessively affected by emotion

experiencedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspɪriənst/

having experience; having knowledge or skill from observation or participation

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading Judge Massingale saw her with a feeling of profound relief.

filledadjectiveUS /fɪld/

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

forbiddenadjectiveUS /fərˈbɪd.ən/

Not allowed; banned or prohibited by rule or law.

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Whatever came now, the responsibility lay on her head, not on his.

heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Whatever came now, the responsibility lay on her head, not on his.

how

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

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

instinctnounUS /ˈɪnstɪŋkt/

inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

JudgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading Judge Massingale saw her with a feeling of profound relief.

JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Whatever came now, the responsibility lay on her head, not on his.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

Massingale

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

From this reading Judge Massingale saw her with a feeling of profound relief.

memorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

mistakenadjectiveUS /mɪˈsteɪkən/

wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Whatever came now, the responsibility lay on her head, not on his.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Judge Massingale saw her with a feeling of profound relief.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

perceptionnounUS /pərˈsepʃən/

the representation of what is perceived; basic component in the formation of a concept

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

perilousadjectiveUS /ˈperələs/

fraught with danger

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

profoundadjectiveUS /proʊˈfaʊnd/

showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth

From this reading Judge Massingale saw her with a feeling of profound relief.

realizeverbUS /ˈriːəlaɪz/

be fully aware or cognizant of

reliefnounUS /rɪˈliːf/

the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced

From this reading Judge Massingale saw her with a feeling of profound relief.

responsibilitynounUS /riˌspɑːnsəˈbɪləti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading Whatever came now, the responsibility lay on her head, not on his.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Judge Massingale saw her with a feeling of profound relief.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

struggleverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəl/

make a strenuous or labored effort

struggledverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəld/

past form of “struggle” — make a strenuous or labored effort

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/

happening without warning or in a short space of time

swiftadjectiveUS /swɪft/

moving very fast

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

vainadjectiveUS /veɪn/

characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

warnedverbUS /wɔːrnd/

past form of “warn” — notify of danger, potential harm, or risk

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

weaknessnounUS /ˈwiːknəs/

a flaw or weak point

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

weeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading For, he, too, had struggled against every instinct in him, warned by his clear and analytical brain that his hands were on the curtains of a perilous and forbidden adventure.

WhateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading Whatever came now, the responsibility lay on her head, not on his.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Dore had not been mistaken in her swift perception on entering the court room, heavy with weakness and discouragement.

Chapter 19 of The Salamander by Owen Johnson holds 262 sentences, grouped into 53 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 19 of The Salamander contain?

Chapter 19 holds 262 sentences of The Salamander, unabridged, divided into 53 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of The Salamander by Owen Johnson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 262 sentences, grouped into 53 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 19 of The Salamander?

Work through the 53 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 53 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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 Salamander

Common questions about reading The Salamander by Owen Johnson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Salamander?

Yes. All 9886 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36355 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Salamander is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36355, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Salamander take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1978 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Salamander section by section

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

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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Salamander

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

Thursday: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Salamander; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Month: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Salamander; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
October: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Salamander; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rushing: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Salamander; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XIX

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