The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Robert Louis Stevenson • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

MR.

ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

He did not refuse me his hand; but he gave it with a coldness and distance for which I was quite unprepared, and his countenance, as he looked on me, was marked in a strong degree with concern and severity.

"So, sir, I find you here?" said he, in tones of little encouragement.

"Is that you, George?

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XVIII Reading 1/41

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

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

MR. ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome. He did not refuse me his hand; but he gave it with a coldness and distance for which I was quite unprepared, and his countenance, as he looked on me, was marked in a strong degree with concern and severity. "So, sir, I find you here?" said he, in tones of little encouragement. "Is that you, George?

The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

MR.

/ˈmɪstər/

Line 2

ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

/roʊˈmeɪn kɔːlz miː neɪmz ˈfiːlɪŋ ˈveri mʌtʃ ʌv ə fuːl tuː biː ðʌs ˈteɪkən baɪ sərˈpraɪz aɪ ˈskræmbəld tuː maɪ fiːt ənd ˈheɪsənd tuː meɪk maɪ ˈvɪzɪtər ˈwelkəm/

Line 3

/hiː dɪd nɑːt rəˈfjuːz miː hɪz hænd bʌt hiː ɡeɪv ɪt wɪð ə ˈkoʊldnəs ənd ˈdɪstəns fɔːr wɪtʃ aɪ wɑːz kwaɪt ˌʌnpriˈperd ənd hɪz ˈkaʊntənəns æz hiː lʊkt ɑːn miː wɑːz mɑːrkt ɪn ə strɔːŋ dɪˈɡriː wɪð kənˈsɜːrn ənd sɪˈverɪti/

Line 4

"So, sir, I find you here?" said he, in tones of little encouragement.

/soʊ sɜːr aɪ faɪnd juː hiːr sed hiː ɪn toʊnz ʌv ˈlɪtəl enˈkɜːrɪdʒmənt/

Line 5

"Is that you, George?

/ɪz ðæt juː dʒɔːrdʒ/

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.

coldness noun US /ˈkoʊldnəs/

the sensation produced by low temperatures

From this reading “He did not refuse me his hand; but he gave it with a coldness and distance for which I was quite unprepared, and his countenance, as he looked on me, was marked in a strong degree with concern and severity.”

concern noun US /kənˈsɜːrn/

something that interests you because it is important or affects you

encouragement noun US /enˈkɜːrɪdʒmənt/

the expression of approval and support

From this reading “"So, sir, I find you here?" said he, in tones of little encouragement.”

hastened verb US /ˈheɪsənd/

past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed

From this reading “ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.”

romaine noun US /roʊˈmeɪn/

lettuce with long dark-green leaves in a loosely packed elongated head

From this reading “ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.”

scrambled adjective US /ˈskræmbəld/

thrown together in a disorderly fashion

From this reading “ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.”

severity noun US /sɪˈverɪti/

used of the degree of something undesirable e.g. pain or weather

unprepared adjective US /ˌʌnpriˈperd/

without preparation; not prepared for

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.

quite unprepared adverb + adjective

In this reading “He did not refuse me his hand; but he gave it with a coldness and distance for which I was quite unprepared, and his countenance, as he looked on me, was marked in a strong degree with concern and severity.”

little encouragement adjective + noun

In this reading “"So, sir, I find you here?" said he, in tones of little encouragement.”

by surprise preposition + noun

In this reading “ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.”

All words in this reading · 65

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 ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He did not refuse me his hand; but he gave it with a coldness and distance for which I was quite unprepared, and his countenance, as he looked on me, was marked in a strong degree with concern and severity.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

CALLSnounUS /kɔːlz/

plural of “call” — a telephone connection

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

coldnessnounUS /ˈkoʊldnəs/

the sensation produced by low temperatures

concernnounUS /kənˈsɜːrn/

something that interests you because it is important or affects you

countenancenounUS /ˈkaʊntənəns/

the appearance conveyed by a person's face

degreenounUS /dɪˈɡriː/

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

encouragementnounUS /enˈkɜːrɪdʒmənt/

the expression of approval and support

From this reading "So, sir, I find you here?" said he, in tones of little encouragement.

FeelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading "So, sir, I find you here?" said he, in tones of little encouragement.

foolnounUS /fuːl/

a person who lacks good judgment

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading "Is that you, George?

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

hastenedverbUS /ˈheɪsənd/

past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "So, sir, I find you here?" said he, in tones of little encouragement.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Is that you, George?

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading "So, sir, I find you here?" said he, in tones of little encouragement.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/

strongly marked; easily noticeable

MEpronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

MRnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading MR.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

NAMESnounUS /neɪmz/

verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

refuseverbUS /rəˈfjuːz/

show unwillingness towards

ROMAINEnounUS /roʊˈmeɪn/

lettuce with long dark-green leaves in a loosely packed elongated head

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "So, sir, I find you here?" said he, in tones of little encouragement.

scrambledadjectiveUS /ˈskræmbəld/

thrown together in a disorderly fashion

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

severitynounUS /sɪˈverɪti/

used of the degree of something undesirable e.g. pain or weather

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading "So, sir, I find you here?" said he, in tones of little encouragement.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "So, sir, I find you here?" said he, in tones of little encouragement.

strongadjectiveUS /strɔːŋ/

having strength or power greater than average or expected

surprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Is that you, George?

thusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

tonesnounUS /toʊnz/

plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice

From this reading "So, sir, I find you here?" said he, in tones of little encouragement.

unpreparedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnpriˈperd/

without preparation; not prepared for

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

visitornounUS /ˈvɪzɪtər/

someone who visits

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

welcomeverbUS /ˈwelkəm/

accept gladly

From this reading ROMAINE CALLS ME NAMES Feeling very much of a fool to be thus taken by surprise, I scrambled to my feet and hastened to make my visitor welcome.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "So, sir, I find you here?" said he, in tones of little encouragement.

Chapter 18 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 by Robert Louis Stevenson holds 207 sentences, grouped into 42 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 Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 contain?

Chapter 18 holds 207 sentences of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 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 207 sentences, grouped into 42 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 Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20?

Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 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.

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

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

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

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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.
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Chapter XVIII

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