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

Chapter XXIV

Chapter 24 of The Woodman is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Woodman
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.
People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.
The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.
It was then about the hour of ten, when two or three of the guests appeared in the hall.
Then came the lord of the castle himself, with his sister, the abbess, on his arm.
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 Woodman

Chapter XXIV

Chapter 24 of The Woodman is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.
Line 2
People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.
/ˈpiːpəl ɪn haɪ ˈsteɪʃən ˈjuːʒəwəli daɪnd æz ɪt wɑːz kɔːld æt ə ˈveri ˈɜːrli ˈaʊər fɔːr ɪn ɔːl ðə mjuːˈteɪʃənz ʌv ˈfæʃən ˈnʌθɪŋ hæz tʃeɪndʒd mɔːr ðæn ðə ˈdɪnər ˈaʊər ɪn ˈjʊrəp/
Line 3
The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.
Line 4
It was then about the hour of ten, when two or three of the guests appeared in the hall.
/ɪt wɑːz ðen əˈbaʊt ðə ˈaʊər ʌv ten wen tuː ɔːr θriː ʌv ðə ɡests əˈpɪrd ɪn ðə hɔːl/
Line 5
Then came the lord of the castle himself, with his sister, the abbess, on his arm.

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.

classes noun US /ˈklæsəz/

plural of “class” — a collection of things sharing a common attribute

From this reading “The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.”

consulting verb US /kənˈsʌltɪŋ/

-ing form of “consult” — get or ask advice from

From this reading “The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.”

convenience noun US /kənˈviːnjəns/

the state of being suitable or opportune

From this reading “The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.”

countries noun US /ˈkʌntriz/

plural of “country” — a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading “The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.”

dined verb US /daɪnd/

past form of “dine” — have supper; eat dinner

From this reading “People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.”

mutations noun US /mjuːˈteɪʃənz/

plural of “mutation” — (biology) an organism that has characteristics resulting from chromosomal alteration

From this reading “People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.”

substantial adjective US /səbˈstænʃəl/

of considerable importance, size, or worth

From this reading “One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.”

varied adjective US /ˈverid/

characterized by variety

From this reading “The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.”

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.

labouring classes adjective + noun counted as “labouring class”

In this reading “The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.”

early hour adjective + noun

In this reading “People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.”

dinner hour noun + noun

In this reading “People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.”

about the hour preposition + article + noun counted as “about … hour”

In this reading “It was then about the hour of ten, when two or three of the guests appeared in the hall.”

assembled in verb + particle counted as “assemble in”

In this reading “One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.”

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

In this reading “One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.”

appeared in verb + particle counted as “appear in”

In this reading “It was then about the hour of ten, when two or three of the guests appeared in the hall.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

abbessnoun

the superior of a group of nuns

From this reading Then came the lord of the castle himself, with his sister, the abbess, on his arm.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading It was then about the hour of ten, when two or three of the guests appeared in the hall.

affairnounUS /əˈfer/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

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 People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

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

From this reading It was then about the hour of ten, when two or three of the guests appeared in the hall.

armnounUS /ɑːrm/

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading Then came the lord of the castle himself, with his sister, the abbess, on his arm.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/

past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

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

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading Then came the lord of the castle himself, with his sister, the abbess, on his arm.

castlenounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

Chidlow

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

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

classesnounUS /ˈklæsəz/

plural of “class” — a collection of things sharing a common attribute

From this reading The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.

consultingverbUS /kənˈsʌltɪŋ/

-ing form of “consult” — get or ask advice from

From this reading The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.

conveniencenounUS /kənˈviːnjəns/

the state of being suitable or opportune

From this reading The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.

countriesnounUS /ˈkʌntriz/

plural of “country” — a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

dinedverbUS /daɪnd/

past form of “dine” — have supper; eat dinner

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

EuropenounUS /ˈjʊrəp/

the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

fashionnounUS /ˈfæʃən/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

guestsnounUS /ɡests/

plural of “guest” — a visitor to whom hospitality is extended

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

hallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.

healthnounUS /helθ/

a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease

From this reading The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Then came the lord of the castle himself, with his sister, the abbess, on his arm.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Then came the lord of the castle himself, with his sister, the abbess, on his arm.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

knowsnounUS /noʊz/

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

labouringadjective

doing arduous or unpleasant work

From this reading The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.

lordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading Then came the lord of the castle himself, with his sister, the abbess, on his arm.

mealnounUS /miːl/

the food served and eaten at one time

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

mutationsnounUS /mjuːˈteɪʃənz/

plural of “mutation” — (biology) an organism that has characteristics resulting from chromosomal alteration

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Then came the lord of the castle himself, with his sister, the abbess, on his arm.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It was then about the hour of ten, when two or three of the guests appeared in the hall.

PeoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

readernounUS /ˈriːdər/

a person who enjoys reading

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

sisternounUS /ˈsɪstər/

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading Then came the lord of the castle himself, with his sister, the abbess, on his arm.

stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

substantialadjectiveUS /səbˈstænʃəl/

of considerable importance, size, or worth

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

tennounUS /ten/

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

From this reading It was then about the hour of ten, when two or three of the guests appeared in the hall.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading It was then about the hour of ten, when two or three of the guests appeared in the hall.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

threenounUS /θriː/

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

From this reading It was then about the hour of ten, when two or three of the guests appeared in the hall.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading It was then about the hour of ten, when two or three of the guests appeared in the hall.

usuallyadverbUS /ˈjuːʒəwəli/

under normal conditions

From this reading People in high station usually dined, as it was called, at a very early hour; for, in all the mutations of fashion, nothing has changed more than the dinner hour in Europe.

variedadjectiveUS /ˈverid/

characterized by variety

From this reading The labouring classes indeed, of all countries, consulting health and convenience alone, have varied very little.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It was then about the hour of ten, when two or three of the guests appeared in the hall.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading One by one, the guests assembled in the hall of Chidlow castle, for the first meal of the day which, as the reader well knows, was in those days a very substantial affair.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Then came the lord of the castle himself, with his sister, the abbess, on his arm.

Chapter 24 of The Woodman by G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford) James holds 134 sentences, grouped into 27 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 24 of The Woodman contain?

Chapter 24 holds 134 sentences of The Woodman, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 24 of The Woodman by G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford) James exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 134 sentences, grouped into 27 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 24 of The Woodman?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 24 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 24 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 Woodman

Common questions about reading The Woodman by G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford) James on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Woodman?

Yes. All 7881 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50329 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Woodman is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #50329, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Woodman take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1577 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Woodman section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Woodman 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 Woodman

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

Hard-working
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Woodman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
People
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Woodman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Earth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Woodman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Serviceable
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Woodman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.