Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Turner Twins
The Turner Twins

Chapter VIII · In the Miser’s House

Chapter VIII of The Turner Twins, “In the Miser’s House,” is here in full — 269 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Turner Twins
Context Illustration Reading 1/53 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.
Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.
Lee, it seemed, knew him slightly and called him by name.
We oughtn’t to come in here,” Lee apologized.
We’re soaking wet, Starling.”
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 Turner Twins

Chapter VIII · In the Miser’s House

Chapter VIII of The Turner Twins, “In the Miser’s House,” is here in full — 269 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/53 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.
/ðə ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃən keɪm frʌm ə bɔɪ ʌv əˈbaʊt sɪkˈstiːn ə slɪm ˈemənəntli əˈtræktɪv tʃæp huː smaɪld pərˈsweɪsɪvli θruː ðə ˈæpərtʃər/
Line 2
Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.
Line 3
Lee, it seemed, knew him slightly and called him by name.
/liː ɪt siːmd nuː hɪm ˈslaɪtli ənd kɔːld hɪm baɪ neɪm/
Line 4
We oughtn’t to come in here,” Lee apologized.
Line 5
We’re soaking wet, Starling.”

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.

aperture noun US /ˈæpərtʃər/

a device that controls amount of light admitted

From this reading “The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.”

apologized verb US /əˈpɑːlədʒaɪzd/

past form of “apologize” — acknowledge faults or shortcomings or failing

From this reading ““We oughtn’t to come in here,” Lee apologized.”

eminently adverb US /ˈemənəntli/

in an eminent manner

From this reading “The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.”

hallway noun US /ˈhɔːlweɪ/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading “Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.”

persuasively adverb US /pərˈsweɪsɪvli/

in a persuasive manner

From this reading “The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.”

pupils noun US /ˈpjuːpəlz/

plural of “pupil” — a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution

From this reading “Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.”

soaking noun US /ˈsoʊkɪŋ/

the process of becoming softened and saturated as a consequence of being immersed in water (or other liquid)

From this reading ““We’re soaking wet, Starling.””

Starling noun US /ˈstɑːrlɪŋ/

gregarious birds native to the Old World

From this reading ““We’re soaking wet, Starling.””

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.

through the aperture preposition + article + noun counted as “through … aperture”

In this reading “The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.”

into a hallway preposition + article + noun counted as “into … hallway”

In this reading “Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.”

came from verb + particle counted as “come from”

In this reading “The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.”

come in verb + particle

to come or go into

In this reading ““We oughtn’t to come in here,” Lee apologized.”

All words in this reading · 64

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 The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

aperturenounUS /ˈæpərtʃər/

a device that controls amount of light admitted

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

apologizedverbUS /əˈpɑːlədʒaɪzd/

past form of “apologize” — acknowledge faults or shortcomings or failing

From this reading “We oughtn’t to come in here,” Lee apologized.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

attractiveadjectiveUS /əˈtræktɪv/

pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Lee, it seemed, knew him slightly and called him by name.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Lee, it seemed, knew him slightly and called him by name.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

chapnounUS /tʃæp/

a boy or man

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading “We oughtn’t to come in here,” Lee apologized.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

drawing-room

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

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

eminentlyadverbUS /ˈemənəntli/

in an eminent manner

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

hallwaynounUS /ˈhɔːlweɪ/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading “We oughtn’t to come in here,” Lee apologized.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “We oughtn’t to come in here,” Lee apologized.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

invitationnounUS /ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/

a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

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 Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

Laurie

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

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

LeenounUS /liː/

United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)

From this reading Lee, it seemed, knew him slightly and called him by name.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Lee, it seemed, knew him slightly and called him by name.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

oughtn't

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

From this reading “We oughtn’t to come in here,” Lee apologized.

persuasivelyadverbUS /pərˈsweɪsɪvli/

in a persuasive manner

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

protestingly

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

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

pupilsnounUS /ˈpjuːpəlz/

plural of “pupil” — a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

recognizedadjectiveUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Lee, it seemed, knew him slightly and called him by name.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

shadowyadjectiveUS /ˈʃædoʊi/

filled with shade

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

sixteenadjectiveUS /sɪkˈstiːn/

being one more than fifteen

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

slightlyadverbUS /ˈslaɪtli/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading Lee, it seemed, knew him slightly and called him by name.

slimadjectiveUS /slɪm/

being of delicate or slender build

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

smiledverbUS /smaɪld/

past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

soakingnounUS /ˈsoʊkɪŋ/

the process of becoming softened and saturated as a consequence of being immersed in water (or other liquid)

From this reading “We’re soaking wet, Starling.”

somewhatadverbUS /ˈsʌmˈwʌt/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

somewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

StarlingnounUS /ˈstɑːrlɪŋ/

gregarious birds native to the Old World

From this reading “We’re soaking wet, Starling.”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “We oughtn’t to come in here,” Lee apologized.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Laurie knew that he had seen him somewhere, but it was not until they had followed, somewhat protestingly, into a hallway and from there into a large and shadowy drawing-room that he recognized him as one of the day pupils.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “We oughtn’t to come in here,” Lee apologized.

We're

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

From this reading “We’re soaking wet, Starling.”

wetadjectiveUS /wet/

covered or soaked with a liquid such as water

From this reading “We’re soaking wet, Starling.”

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The invitation came from a boy of about sixteen, a slim, eminently attractive chap, who smiled persuasively through the aperture.

Chapter 8 of The Turner Twins by Ralph Henry Barbour holds 269 sentences, grouped into 54 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 8 of The Turner Twins contain?

Chapter 8 holds 269 sentences of The Turner Twins, unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Turner Twins by Ralph Henry Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 269 sentences, grouped into 54 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 8 of The Turner Twins?

Work through the 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 54 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Turner Twins

Common questions about reading The Turner Twins by Ralph Henry Barbour on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Turner Twins?

Yes. All 4793 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37209 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Turner Twins is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37209, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Turner Twins take to read?

About 399 minutes of reading across 959 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Turner Twins section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Turner Twins 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 Turner Twins

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

Flannels
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Turner Twins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
School
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Turner Twins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pronounced
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Turner Twins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Serge
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Turner Twins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.