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

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Chapter 8 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 by Robert Louis Stevenson holds 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 contain?

Chapter 8 holds 149 sentences of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 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 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 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 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.
I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.
To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.
At the sound of approaching footsteps my good-humour was restored.
The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.
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 Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.
Line 2
I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.
Line 3
To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.
Line 4
At the sound of approaching footsteps my good-humour was restored.
Line 5
The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

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.

Alone adjective US /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading “THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.”

Behind preposition US /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading “The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.”

Nothing pronoun US /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.”

These determiner US /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading “THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.”

All words in this reading · 69

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

approaching

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

From this reading At the sound of approaching footsteps my good-humour was restored.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

back

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

bipeds

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

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

closed

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

distressing

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

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

door

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

drink

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

eat

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

entered

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

flayed

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

floor

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

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

footsteps

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

From this reading At the sound of approaching footsteps my good-humour was restored.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

good-humour

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

From this reading At the sound of approaching footsteps my good-humour was restored.

great

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

half-an-hour

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

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

hands

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

HEN-HOUSE

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

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

hungry

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

imagined

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

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

inviting

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

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

key

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

leaned

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

least

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

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

less

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

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

lock

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

Master

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

necessities

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

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

own

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

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

pain

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

place

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

rattled

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

reflections

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

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

restored

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

From this reading At the sound of approaching footsteps my good-humour was restored.

Ronald

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

sit

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

society

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

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

sound

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

From this reading At the sound of approaching footsteps my good-humour was restored.

sure

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

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

there

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

thirsty

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

thoroughly

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

tired

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

treat

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE HEN-HOUSE I was half-an-hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.