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The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Chapter 7 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 by Robert Louis Stevenson holds 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 7 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 contain?

Chapter 7 holds 109 sentences of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 by Robert Louis Stevenson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 7 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20

Common questions about reading The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 by Robert Louis Stevenson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20?

Yes. All 7524 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30849 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #30849, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1505 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 section by section

How to work through The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 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 Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Swanston
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Twenty-five
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Volumes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cover illustration for The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20
Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SWANSTON COTTAGE I had two views.
The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.
What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.
Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.
Wit and a good exterior--there is all life in a nutshell.
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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 Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SWANSTON COTTAGE I had two views.
Line 2
The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.
Line 3
What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.
Line 4
Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.
Line 5
Wit and a good exterior--there is all life in a nutshell.

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, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Being auxiliary verb US /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading “What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.”

Nothing pronoun US /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.”

Open verb US /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading “Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.”

All words in this reading · 74

Every word is available to listen to. 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 What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

all

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

From this reading Wit and a good exterior--there is all life in a nutshell.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

called

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

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

care

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

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

Castle

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

Chance

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

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

Circumstance

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

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

clear

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

COTTAGE

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

From this reading SWANSTON COTTAGE I had two views.

couple

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

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

devotee

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

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

divinities

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

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

Edinburgh

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

exterior

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

From this reading Wit and a good exterior--there is all life in a nutshell.

eyes

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

From this reading Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.

fellow-prisoners

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

first

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

forward

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

From this reading Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.

get

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

good

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

From this reading Wit and a good exterior--there is all life in a nutshell.

greatly

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

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

guess

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

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading SWANSTON COTTAGE I had two views.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading SWANSTON COTTAGE I had two views.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.

impossible

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

From this reading Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Wit and a good exterior--there is all life in a nutshell.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

keep

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

From this reading Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.

life

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

From this reading Wit and a good exterior--there is all life in a nutshell.

long

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

morning

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

naturally

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

near

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

night

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

nutshell

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

From this reading Wit and a good exterior--there is all life in a nutshell.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

oiled

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

From this reading Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.

possible

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

From this reading Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.

Prepare

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

From this reading Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.

say

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

second

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

southward

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

straight

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

From this reading Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.

SWANSTON

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

From this reading SWANSTON COTTAGE I had two views.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

then

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

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

there

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

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

tongue

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

From this reading Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.

town

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

two

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

From this reading SWANSTON COTTAGE I had two views.

views

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

From this reading SWANSTON COTTAGE I had two views.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What I should do there and then, I had no guess, and did not greatly care, being a devotee of a couple of divinities called Chance and Circumstance.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.

Wit

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

From this reading Wit and a good exterior--there is all life in a nutshell.

work

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

From this reading The first was, naturally, to get clear of Edinburgh Castle and the town, to say nothing of my fellow-prisoners; the second to work to the southward so long as it was night, and be near Swanston Cottage by morning.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Prepare, if possible; where it is impossible, work straight forward, and keep your eyes open and your tongue oiled.