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The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1
The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1 is here in full — 283 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Henry, Mrs. Wood • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1
Context Illustration Reading 1/56 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
WATTS'S WIFE.
Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.
"I beg your pardon," I said, in apology.
"I----" And there I broke off to stare, for I thought I recognised him in the gaslight.
"Why!
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 Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1 is here in full — 283 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/56 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
WATTS'S WIFE.
Line 2
Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.
Line 3
"I beg your pardon," I said, in apology.
/aɪ beɡ jɔːr ˈpɑːrdən aɪ sed ɪn əˈpɑːlədʒiː/
Line 4
"I----" And there I broke off to stare, for I thought I recognised him in the gaslight.
/aɪ ənd ðer aɪ broʊk ɔːf tuː ster fɔːr aɪ θɔːt aɪ ˈrekəɡnaɪzd hɪm ɪn ðə ˈɡæslaɪt/
Line 5
"Why!
/waɪ/

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.

apology noun US /əˈpɑːlədʒiː/

an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone

From this reading “"I beg your pardon," I said, in apology.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
capacious adjective US /kəˈpeɪʃəs/

large in capacity

From this reading “Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gaslight noun US /ˈɡæslaɪt/

light yielded by the combustion of illuminating gas

From this reading “"I----" And there I broke off to stare, for I thought I recognised him in the gaslight.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hastening verb US /ˈheɪsənɪŋ/

-ing form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed

From this reading “Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
omnibus noun US /ˈɑːmnəbəs/

an anthology of articles on a related subject or an anthology of the works of a single author

From this reading “Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stare verb US /ster/

look at with fixed eyes

From this reading “"I----" And there I broke off to stare, for I thought I recognised him in the gaslight.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Strand noun US /strænd/

a pattern forming a unity within a larger structural whole

From this reading “Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
swaggering adjective US /ˈswæɡərɪŋ/

having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy

From this reading “Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

hastening along verb + particle counted as “hasten along”

In this reading “Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.”

335 times in 426,211 chapters
way home noun + noun

In this reading “Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.”

10,441 times in 426,211 chapters
ran against verb + particle counted as “run against”

In this reading “Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.”

1,625 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 50

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 Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "I----" And there I broke off to stare, for I thought I recognised him in the gaslight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
apologynounUS /əˈpɑːlədʒiː/

an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone

From this reading "I beg your pardon," I said, in apology.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
begverbUS /beɡ/

call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading "I beg your pardon," I said, in apology.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
belongedverbUS /bɪˈlɔːŋd/

past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading "I----" And there I broke off to stare, for I thought I recognised him in the gaslight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
capaciousadjectiveUS /kəˈpeɪʃəs/

large in capacity

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Charing

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

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Pending verification
cloaknounUS /kloʊk/

anything that covers or conceals

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CrossverbUS /krɔːs/

travel across or pass over

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "I----" And there I broke off to stare, for I thought I recognised him in the gaslight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
gaslightnounUS /ˈɡæslaɪt/

light yielded by the combustion of illuminating gas

From this reading "I----" And there I broke off to stare, for I thought I recognised him in the gaslight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
handsomeadjectiveUS /ˈhænsəm/

pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hasteningverbUS /ˈheɪsənɪŋ/

-ing form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
LeavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading "I----" And there I broke off to stare, for I thought I recognised him in the gaslight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
omnibusnounUS /ˈɑːmnəbəs/

an anthology of articles on a related subject or an anthology of the works of a single author

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
pardonverbUS /ˈpɑːrdən/

accept an excuse for

From this reading "I beg your pardon," I said, in apology.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ranverbUS /ræn/

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recognisedadjectiveUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzd/

provided with a secure reputation

From this reading "I----" And there I broke off to stare, for I thought I recognised him in the gaslight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I beg your pardon," I said, in apology.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stareverbUS /ster/

look at with fixed eyes

From this reading "I----" And there I broke off to stare, for I thought I recognised him in the gaslight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StrandnounUS /strænd/

a pattern forming a unity within a larger structural whole

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
streetnounUS /striːt/

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

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
swaggeringadjectiveUS /ˈswæɡərɪŋ/

having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "I----" And there I broke off to stare, for I thought I recognised him in the gaslight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading "I----" And there I broke off to stare, for I thought I recognised him in the gaslight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WATTS'S

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

From this reading WATTS'S WIFE.

Pending verification
waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Leaving the omnibus at Charing Cross, I was hastening along the Strand on my way home, when I ran against a gentleman, who was swaggering along in a handsome, capacious cloak as if all the street belonged to him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading "Why!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WIFEnounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading WATTS'S WIFE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I beg your pardon," I said, in apology.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 5 of The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1 by Henry, Mrs. Wood holds 283 sentences, grouped into 57 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 5 of The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1 contain?

Chapter 5 holds 283 sentences of The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1, unabridged, divided into 57 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1 by Henry, Mrs. Wood exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 283 sentences, grouped into 57 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 5 of The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1?

Work through the 57 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 57 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1

Common questions about reading The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1 by Henry, Mrs. Wood on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1?

Yes. All 3650 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38623 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #38623, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1 take to read?

About 304 minutes of reading across 730 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1 section by section

How to work through The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Early
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Charles
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Strange
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Called
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Charles Strange — Vol. 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.