Chapter 3 of The step on the stair is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The step on the stair is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Orpha was with him. She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold. He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly: “No reading this morning, Quenton. I have an errand for you.
Chapter 3 of The step on the stair is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading “He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:”
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading “She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.”
slightly wet
From this reading “She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.”
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading “I have an errand for you.”
an area near a fireplace (usually paved and extending out into a room)
From this reading “She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.”
showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
From this reading “He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:”
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading “She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.”
plural of “log” — a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches
From this reading “She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.”
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.
slang for a paunch
In this reading “She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.”
In this reading “She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.”
In this reading “He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:”
seek information from
In this reading “He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:”
In this reading “She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.”
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 She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I have an errand for you.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
slightly wet
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading I have an errand for you.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
an area near a fireplace (usually paved and extending out into a room)
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I have an errand for you.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I have an errand for you.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Orpha was with him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
plural of “log” — a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
not any; not one
From this reading “No reading this morning, Quenton.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Orpha was with him.
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “No reading this morning, Quenton.
with speed
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
on the contrary
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading “No reading this morning, Quenton.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
showing scarcely suppressed anger
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “No reading this morning, Quenton.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He started and looked up with his kindly smile as I approached with the morning papers, then spoke quickly:
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Orpha was with him.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
in or at the place that
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading She was sitting in the great bay window which opened upon the lawn; he by the fireside where a few logs were smouldering, the day being damp rather than cold.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Orpha was with him.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I have an errand for you.
Chapter 3 of The step on the stair by Anna Katharine Green holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 3 holds 403 sentences of The step on the stair, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The step on the stair by Anna Katharine Green exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 3 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 step on the stair by Anna Katharine Green on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The step on the stair section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The step on the stair 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 step on the stair, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
