The Winding Stair

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Winding Stair is here in full — 328 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Winding Stair

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

He turned on the instant.

“Baumann!”

Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

Narrator

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.

Chapter XVIII Reading 1/65

The Winding Stair

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Winding Stair is here in full — 328 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/65 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

Line 2

He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

Line 3

He turned on the instant.

/hiː tɜːrnd ɑːn ðə ˈɪnstənt/

Line 4

“Baumann!”

Line 5

Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

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.

Alsatian noun US /ælˈseɪʃən/

a native or inhabitant of Alsace

From this reading “Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.”

corridor noun US /ˈkɔːrədər/

an enclosed passageway; rooms usually open onto it

From this reading “He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.”

Department noun US /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/

a specialized division of a large organization

From this reading “Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.”

Fez noun US /fez/

a city in north central Morocco; religious center

From this reading “Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.”

Iris noun US /ˈaɪrəs/

plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals

From this reading “Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.”

lodged verb US /lɑːdʒd/

past form of “lodge” — be a lodger; stay temporarily

From this reading “He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.”

twenty-first adjective US /ˈtwentifɜːrst/

coming next after the twentieth in position

From this reading “Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.”

Villa noun US /ˈvɪlə/

Mexican revolutionary leader (1877-1923)

From this reading “Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.”

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.

three days noun + noun

In this reading “Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.”

many months adjective + noun counted as “many month”

In this reading “Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.”

came out verb + adjective counted as “come out”

appear or become visible; make a showing

In this reading “He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.”

rode into verb + particle counted as “ride into”

In this reading “Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.”

in the corridor preposition + article + noun counted as “in … corridor”

In this reading “He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.”

on the instant preposition + article + noun counted as “on … instant”

In this reading “He turned on the instant.”

at ten preposition + noun

In this reading “Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.”

All words in this reading · 62

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 He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

AffairsnounUS /əˈferz/

matters of personal concern

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

AlsatiannounUS /ælˈseɪʃən/

a native or inhabitant of Alsace

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

AprilnounUS /ˈeɪprəl/

the month following March and preceding May

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

Auvert

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

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

Baumann

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

From this reading “Baumann!”

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

belongingnounUS /bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋ/

happiness felt in a secure relationship

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

CaptainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

corridornounUS /ˈkɔːrədər/

an enclosed passageway; rooms usually open onto it

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

DepartmentnounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/

a specialized division of a large organization

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

FeznounUS /fez/

a city in north central Morocco; religious center

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

GeneraladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

Gerard

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

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

HospitalnounUS /ˈhɑːspɪtəl/

a health facility where patients receive treatment

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

instantnounUS /ˈɪnstənt/

a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)

From this reading He turned on the instant.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

IrisnounUS /ˈaɪrəs/

plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

Laguessière's

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

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

lodgedverbUS /lɑːdʒd/

past form of “lodge” — be a lodger; stay temporarily

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

Moinier

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

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

Montignac

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

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

NativeadjectiveUS /ˈneɪtɪv/

characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

rememberedverbUS /rɪˈmembərd/

past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

ReportverbUS /riˈpɔːrt/

to give an account or representation of in words

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

rodeverbUS /roʊd/

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

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

soughtadjectiveUS /sɔːt/

that is looked for

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

stockish

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

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading He turned on the instant.

twenty-firstadjectiveUS /ˈtwentifɜːrst/

coming next after the twentieth in position

From this reading Captain Laguessière’s Report On the twenty-first of April, three days later, Gerard de Montignac rode into Fez at ten o’clock of the morning behind General Moinier.

VillanounUS /ˈvɪlə/

Mexican revolutionary leader (1877-1923)

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He was lodged at the Auvert Hospital and as he came out of his room he passed in the corridor a face which he remembered.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Baumann was that short stockish Alsatian belonging to the Department of Native Affairs, whom Gerard many months before had sought at the Villa Iris.

Chapter 18 of The Winding Stair by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason holds 328 sentences, grouped into 66 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 18 of The Winding Stair contain?

Chapter 18 holds 328 sentences of The Winding Stair, unabridged, divided into 66 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Winding Stair by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 328 sentences, grouped into 66 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 18 of The Winding Stair?

Work through the 66 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 66 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 Winding Stair

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Is this the complete text of The Winding Stair?

Yes. All 5571 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60125 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Winding Stair is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #60125, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 464 minutes of reading across 1115 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Winding Stair

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

Rising: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Winding Stair; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Winding Stair; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Place: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Winding Stair; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Winding: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Winding Stair; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XVIII

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