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Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1
Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1 is here in full — 56 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1
Context Illustration Reading 1/11 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE ATTIC.
The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.
The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.
"Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!
Here you have a legion of detectives for such rascals."
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1 is here in full — 56 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/11 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE ATTIC.
/ðə ˈætɪk/
Line 2
The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.
Line 3
The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.
/ðə loʊ wɔːlz ʌp tuː ðə sloʊp wɜːr fɪld wɪð bʊks bʊks leɪ ɑːn ðə ˈteɪbəl ɑːn ðə bed ɑːn tʃerz ənd ɪn ˈkɔːrnərz ˈevriwer/
Line 4
"Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!
Line 5
Here you have a legion of detectives for such rascals."
/hiːr juː hæv ə ˈliːdʒən ʌv dɪˈtektɪvz fɔːr sʌtʃ ˈræskəlz/

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.

attic noun US /ˈætɪk/

floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage

From this reading “THE ATTIC.”

ceiling noun US /ˈsiːlɪŋ/

the overhead upper surface of a covered space

From this reading “The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.”

detectives noun US /dɪˈtektɪvz/

plural of “detective” — a police officer who investigates crimes

From this reading “Here you have a legion of detectives for such rascals."”

dormer noun US /ˈdɔːrmər/

a gabled extension built out from a sloping roof to accommodate a vertical window

From this reading “The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.”

fireplace noun US /ˈfaɪərpleɪs/

an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built

From this reading “The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.”

gable noun US /ˈɡeɪbəl/

the vertical triangular wall between the sloping ends of gable roof

From this reading “The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.”

legion noun US /ˈliːdʒən/

archaic terms for army

From this reading “Here you have a legion of detectives for such rascals."”

rascals noun US /ˈræskəlz/

plural of “rascal” — a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel

From this reading “Here you have a legion of detectives for such rascals."”

All words in this reading · 74

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 The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

Aha

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

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

ATTICnounUS /ˈætɪk/

floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage

From this reading THE ATTIC.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.

booksnounUS /bʊks/

Bound written or printed works.

From this reading The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

castverbUS /kæst/

put or send forth

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

ceilingnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋ/

the overhead upper surface of a covered space

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

chairsnounUS /tʃerz/

plural of “chair” — a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.

cornersnounUS /ˈkɔːrnərz/

plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area

From this reading The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.

detectivesnounUS /dɪˈtektɪvz/

plural of “detective” — a police officer who investigates crimes

From this reading Here you have a legion of detectives for such rascals."

dormernounUS /ˈdɔːrmər/

a gabled extension built out from a sloping roof to accommodate a vertical window

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

down-sloping

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

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

easilyadverbUS /ˈiːzəli/

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

everywhereadverbUS /ˈevriwer/

to or in any or all places

From this reading The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

filledadjectiveUS /fɪld/

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

From this reading The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.

fireplacenounUS /ˈfaɪərpleɪs/

an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

gablenounUS /ˈɡeɪbəl/

the vertical triangular wall between the sloping ends of gable roof

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

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

From this reading Here you have a legion of detectives for such rascals."

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.

lednounUS /led/

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

legionnounUS /ˈliːdʒən/

archaic terms for army

From this reading Here you have a legion of detectives for such rascals."

lightedadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪtəd/

set afire or burning

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Here you have a legion of detectives for such rascals."

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

Polwarth

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

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

rascalsnounUS /ˈræskəlz/

plural of “rascal” — a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel

From this reading Here you have a legion of detectives for such rascals."

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

sidesnounUS /saɪdz/

plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

slopenounUS /sloʊp/

an elevated geological formation

From this reading The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

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

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Here you have a legion of detectives for such rascals."

surprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE ATTIC.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.

tolerablyadverb

in an acceptable (but not outstanding) manner

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.

wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

welladverbUS /wel/

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

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The low walls, up to the slope, were filled with books; books lay on the table, on the bed, on chairs, and in corners everywhere.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

Wingfold

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

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The little man led the way into a tolerably large room, with down-sloping ceiling on both sides, lighted by a small window in the gable, near the fireplace, and a dormer window as well.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Aha!" said Wingfold, as he entered and cast his eyes around, "there is no room for surprise that you should have found me out so easily, Mr. Polwarth!

Chapter 16 of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1 by George MacDonald holds 56 sentences, grouped into 12 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 16 of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1 contain?

Chapter 16 holds 56 sentences of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1 by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 56 sentences, grouped into 12 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 16 of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1?

Work through the 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 12 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1

Common questions about reading Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1 by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1?

Yes. All 2184 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5973 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5973, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1 take to read?

About 182 minutes of reading across 437 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1 section by section

How to work through Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 33 chapters of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1 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 Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1

Words and structures a reader meets early in Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Helen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lingard
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Swift
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
November
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.