Chapter 8 of The Vast Abyss is here in full — 392 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Vast Abyss is here in full — 392 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Yes, I suppose so." "How's dad?" "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch. "Oh--oh--oh!" at regular intervals. "Hullo!" said Sam; "what's the matter? been killing somebody?"
Chapter 8 of The Vast Abyss is here in full — 392 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/78 · 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.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading “"How's dad?"”
-ing form of “groan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading “"Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.”
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading “"Oh--oh--oh!" at regular intervals.”
an event that causes someone to die
From this reading “"Hullo!" said Sam; "what's the matter? been killing somebody?"”
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading “"Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.”
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading “"Oh--oh--oh!" at regular intervals.”
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading “"Hullo!" said Sam; "what's the matter? been killing somebody?"”
a person, without saying who
From this reading “"Hullo!" said Sam; "what's the matter? been killing somebody?"”
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.
In this reading “"Oh--oh--oh!" at regular intervals.”
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 "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Oh--oh--oh!" at regular intervals.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "Hullo!" said Sam; "what's the matter? been killing somebody?"
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading "How's dad?"
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
-ing form of “groan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How's dad?"
an expression of greeting
From this reading "Hullo!" said Sam; "what's the matter? been killing somebody?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Yes, I suppose so."
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading "Oh--oh--oh!" at regular intervals.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
and nothing more
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
an event that causes someone to die
From this reading "Hullo!" said Sam; "what's the matter? been killing somebody?"
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "Hullo!" said Sam; "what's the matter? been killing somebody?"
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh--oh--oh!" at regular intervals.
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
with low volume
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading "Oh--oh--oh!" at regular intervals.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading "Hullo!" said Sam; "what's the matter? been killing somebody?"
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Yes, I suppose so."
a person, without saying who
From this reading "Hullo!" said Sam; "what's the matter? been killing somebody?"
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
express a supposition
From this reading "Yes, I suppose so."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
male cat
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Hullo!" said Sam; "what's the matter? been killing somebody?"
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading "Uncle James is better," said Tom quietly; and just then there was a loud groaning sound from within the porch.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, I suppose so."
Chapter 8 of The Vast Abyss by George Manville Fenn holds 392 sentences, grouped into 79 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 8 holds 392 sentences of The Vast Abyss, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Vast Abyss by George Manville Fenn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 392 sentences, grouped into 79 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 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Vast Abyss by George Manville Fenn on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7667 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30106 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30106, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1534 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Vast Abyss section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of The Vast Abyss 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 Vast Abyss, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
