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The Shadow of Ashlydyat
The Shadow of Ashlydyat

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The Shadow of Ashlydyat is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Shadow of Ashlydyat
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
STRAW IN THE STREETS.
Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.
As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.
It was George Godolphin.
Imprudent George!
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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 Shadow of Ashlydyat

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The Shadow of Ashlydyat is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
STRAW IN THE STREETS.
/strɔː ɪn ðə striːts/
Line 2
Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.
Line 3
As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.
Line 4
It was George Godolphin.
Line 5
Imprudent George!
/ˌɪmˈpruːdənt dʒɔːrdʒ/

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.

carriages noun US /ˈkærɪdʒɪz/

plural of “carriage” — a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading “As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.”

Crosse noun US /krɑːs/

a long racket with a triangular frame; used in playing lacrosse

From this reading “Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.”

drivers noun US /ˈdraɪvərz/

plural of “driver” — the operator of a motor vehicle

From this reading “As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.”

dwelling noun US /ˈdwelɪŋ/

housing that someone is living in

From this reading “As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.”

hovering verb US /ˈhʌvərɪŋ/

-ing form of “hover” — be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action

From this reading “As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.”

Imprudent adjective US /ˌɪmˈpruːdənt/

not prudent or wise

From this reading “Imprudent George!”

masses noun US /ˈmæsəz/

the common people generally

From this reading “Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.”

traverse verb US /ˈtrævərs/

travel across or pass over

From this reading “As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.”

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.

some distance adjective + noun

In this reading “Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.”

hovering between verb + particle counted as “hover between”

In this reading “As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.”

look up verb + adjective

seek information from

In this reading “As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.”

came up verb + adjective counted as “come up”

bring forth, usually something desirable

In this reading “As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.”

IN THE STREETS preposition + article + noun counted as “in … street”

In this reading “STRAW IN THE STREETS.”

at the windows preposition + article + noun counted as “at … windows”

In this reading “As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

Ankle-deepadjective

coming only to the ankle or knee

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

banking-house

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

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

carriagesnounUS /ˈkærɪdʒɪz/

plural of “carriage” — a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

checkedadjectiveUS /tʃekt/

patterned with alternating squares of color

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

CrossenounUS /krɑːs/

a long racket with a triangular frame; used in playing lacrosse

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

driversnounUS /ˈdraɪvərz/

plural of “driver” — the operator of a motor vehicle

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

drovenounUS /droʊv/

a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

dwellingnounUS /ˈdwelɪŋ/

housing that someone is living in

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

foot-pace

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

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading It was George Godolphin.

Godolphin

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

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

headsnounUS /hedz/

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

horsesnounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/

plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

hoveringverbUS /ˈhʌvərɪŋ/

-ing form of “hover” — be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

ImprudentadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpruːdənt/

not prudent or wise

From this reading Imprudent George!

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading STRAW IN THE STREETS.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

massesnounUS /ˈmæsəz/

the common people generally

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

raisingnounUS /ˈreɪzɪŋ/

the event of something being raised upward

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

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

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

STRAWnounUS /strɔː/

plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder

From this reading STRAW IN THE STREETS.

StreetnounUS /striːt/

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

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

STREETSnounUS /striːts/

plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading STRAW IN THE STREETS.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading STRAW IN THE STREETS.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

traverseverbUS /ˈtrævərs/

travel across or pass over

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Ankle-deep before the banking-house of Godolphin, Crosse, and Godolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay masses of straw.

Chapter 12 of The Shadow of Ashlydyat by Henry, Mrs. Wood holds 196 sentences, grouped into 40 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 12 of The Shadow of Ashlydyat contain?

Chapter 12 holds 196 sentences of The Shadow of Ashlydyat, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The Shadow of Ashlydyat by Henry, Mrs. Wood exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 196 sentences, grouped into 40 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 12 of The Shadow of Ashlydyat?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 12 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Shadow of Ashlydyat

Common questions about reading The Shadow of Ashlydyat by Henry, Mrs. Wood on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Shadow of Ashlydyat?

Yes. All 18343 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42200 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Shadow of Ashlydyat is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #42200, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Shadow of Ashlydyat take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 3669 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Shadow of Ashlydyat section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Shadow of Ashlydyat 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 Shadow of Ashlydyat

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

Hounds
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow of Ashlydyat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bright
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow of Ashlydyat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Autumn
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow of Ashlydyat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Scene
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow of Ashlydyat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.