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

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Chapter 27 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 by Robert Louis Stevenson holds 160 sentences, grouped into 32 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 27 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 contain?

Chapter 27 holds 160 sentences of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 27 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 160 sentences, grouped into 32 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 27 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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 27 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 27 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 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.
Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.
A good enough tale in itself; but the dreadful pickle I was in made it out of the question.
I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.
Fortune favoured me again.
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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 XXVII

Chapter 27 of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson — Vol. 20 is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.
Line 2
Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.
Line 3
A good enough tale in itself; but the dreadful pickle I was in made it out of the question.
Line 4
I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.
Line 5
Fortune favoured me again.

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.

Another determiner US /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading “THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.”

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.”

Dreadful adjective US /ˈdrɛdfəl/

extremely frightening or unpleasant

From this reading “A good enough tale in itself; but the dreadful pickle I was in made it out of the question.”

Expect verb US /ɪkˈspekt/

to think that something will happen

From this reading “Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.”

Itself pronoun US /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading “A good enough tale in itself; but the dreadful pickle I was in made it out of the question.”

Might modal verb US /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.”

Till preposition US /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading “I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.”

All words in this reading · 72

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 Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

again

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

From this reading Fortune favoured me again.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

bed

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

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

clothes

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

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

dreadfuladjectiveUS /ˈdrɛdfəl/

extremely frightening or unpleasant

From this reading A good enough tale in itself; but the dreadful pickle I was in made it out of the question.

dry

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

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

enough

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

From this reading A good enough tale in itself; but the dreadful pickle I was in made it out of the question.

expectverbUS /ɪkˈspekt/

to think that something will happen

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

favoured

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

From this reading Fortune favoured me again.

fire

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

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

Fortune

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

From this reading Fortune favoured me again.

found

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

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

friend

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

go

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

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

gone

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

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

good

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

From this reading A good enough tale in itself; but the dreadful pickle I was in made it out of the question.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

harbourage

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

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

high

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

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

home

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

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

indeed

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

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading A good enough tale in itself; but the dreadful pickle I was in made it out of the question.

last

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

lie

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

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

made

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

From this reading A good enough tale in itself; but the dreadful pickle I was in made it out of the question.

McRankine

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

meanwhile

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

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

met

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

morning

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

Mrs

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

night

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A good enough tale in itself; but the dreadful pickle I was in made it out of the question.

orders

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

out

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

From this reading A good enough tale in itself; but the dreadful pickle I was in made it out of the question.

pickle

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

From this reading A good enough tale in itself; but the dreadful pickle I was in made it out of the question.

question

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

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

ready

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

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

received

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

Rowley

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

SABBATH-DAY

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

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

say

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

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

Swanston

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

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

tale

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

From this reading A good enough tale in itself; but the dreadful pickle I was in made it out of the question.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Rowley had received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a friend, and Mrs. McRankine was not to expect me before morning.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

time

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

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading THE SABBATH-DAY It was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I was to do in the meanwhile was another question.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading I could not go home till I had found harbourage, a fire to dry my clothes at, and a bed where I might lie till they were ready.