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The Shadow of the Rope
The Shadow of the Rope

Chapter XXVII · Chapter 27

Chapter 27 of The Shadow of the Rope is here in full — 293 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Shadow of the Rope
Context Illustration Reading 1/58 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE WHOLE TRUTH "Have the ladies gone?"
Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.
"And they've left him a different man," she added.
"But what have you been doing to get wet like that?
Dear, dear, dear!
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 Shadow of the Rope

Chapter XXVII · Chapter 27

Chapter 27 of The Shadow of the Rope is here in full — 293 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/58 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE WHOLE TRUTH "Have the ladies gone?"
/ðə hoʊl truːθ hæv ðə ˈleɪdiz ɡɔːn/
Line 2
Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.
Line 3
"And they've left him a different man," she added.
Line 4
"But what have you been doing to get wet like that?
/bʌt wʌt hæv juː bɪn ˈduːɪŋ tuː ɡet wet laɪk ðæt/
Line 5
Dear, dear, dear!
/dɪr dɪr dɪr/

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.

assurance noun US /əˈʃʊrəns/

freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading “Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.”

avoid verb US /əˈvɔɪd/

stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something

From this reading “Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.”

gravel noun US /ˈɡrævəl/

rock fragments and pebbles

From this reading “Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.”

lane noun US /leɪn/

a narrow way or road

From this reading “Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.”

noisy adjective US /ˈnɔɪzi/

full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds

From this reading “Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.”

ridden verb US /ˈrɪdən/

inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading “Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.”

venture noun US /ˈventʃər/

any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome

From this reading “Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.”

wicket noun US /ˈwɪkət/

cricket equipment consisting of a set of three stumps topped by crosspieces; used in playing cricket

From this reading “Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.”

All words in this reading · 70

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 Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

addedverbUS /ˈædəd/

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading "And they've left him a different man," she added.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

assurancenounUS /əˈʃʊrəns/

freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

avoidverbUS /əˈvɔɪd/

stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

Brunton's

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

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "But what have you been doing to get wet like that?

DearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading Dear, dear, dear!

differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

From this reading "And they've left him a different man," she added.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading "But what have you been doing to get wet like that?

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

footnounUS /fʊt/

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "But what have you been doing to get wet like that?

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading THE WHOLE TRUTH "Have the ladies gone?"

gravelnounUS /ˈɡrævəl/

rock fragments and pebbles

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

Haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading THE WHOLE TRUTH "Have the ladies gone?"

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading "And they've left him a different man," she added.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

ladiesnounUS /ˈleɪdiz/

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading THE WHOLE TRUTH "Have the ladies gone?"

lanenounUS /leɪn/

a narrow way or road

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

Langholm

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

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading "And they've left him a different man," she added.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "But what have you been doing to get wet like that?

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

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "And they've left him a different man," she added.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

noisyadjectiveUS /ˈnɔɪzi/

full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

phaetonnoun

large open car seating four with folding top

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

rainnounUS /reɪn/

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

riddenverbUS /ˈrɪdən/

inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "And they've left him a different man," she added.

signnounUS /saɪn/

a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE WHOLE TRUTH "Have the ladies gone?"

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

they've

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

From this reading "And they've left him a different man," she added.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

TRUTHnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading THE WHOLE TRUTH "Have the ladies gone?"

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

venturenounUS /ˈventʃər/

any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

wetadjectiveUS /wet/

covered or soaked with a liquid such as water

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "But what have you been doing to get wet like that?

whisperedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪspərd/

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

WHOLEadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading THE WHOLE TRUTH "Have the ladies gone?"

wicketnounUS /ˈwɪkət/

cricket equipment consisting of a set of three stumps topped by crosspieces; used in playing cricket

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Langholm had ridden a long way round, through the rain, in order to avoid them; nor was there any sign of the phaeton in the lane; yet these were his first whispered words across the wicket, and he would not venture to set foot upon the noisy wet gravel without Mrs. Brunton's assurance that the ladies had been gone some time.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "But what have you been doing to get wet like that?

Chapter 27 of The Shadow of the Rope by E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung holds 293 sentences, grouped into 59 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 27 of The Shadow of the Rope contain?

Chapter 27 holds 293 sentences of The Shadow of the Rope, unabridged, divided into 59 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 27 of The Shadow of the Rope by E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 293 sentences, grouped into 59 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 27 of The Shadow of the Rope?

Work through the 59 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 59 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 27 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 27 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 the Rope

Common questions about reading The Shadow of the Rope by E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Shadow of the Rope?

Yes. All 4180 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12590 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Shadow of the Rope is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12590, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Shadow of the Rope take to read?

About 348 minutes of reading across 836 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Shadow of the Rope section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Shadow of the Rope 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 the Rope

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

Finished
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow of the Rope; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Woman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow of the Rope; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Speaking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow of the Rope; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Quietly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow of the Rope; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.