Chapter 5 of Veranilda is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Veranilda is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow. 'My fairest! Let me but touch your hand. Lay it for a moment in mine--a pledge for ever!' 'You do not fear to love me, O lord of my life?'
Chapter 5 of Veranilda is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
possessive form of “emperor” — the male ruler of an empire
From this reading “THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.”
enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering
From this reading “THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.”
superlative of “fair” — free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading “'My fairest!”
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading “THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.”
impossible to hear; imperceptible by the ear
From this reading “THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.”
plural of “pace” — the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading “THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.”
promise solemnly and formally
From this reading “Lay it for a moment in mine--a pledge for ever!'”
(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear
From this reading “THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Let me but touch your hand.
either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading 'You do not fear to love me, O lord of my life?'
possessive form of “emperor” — the male ruler of an empire
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
at any time
From this reading Lay it for a moment in mine--a pledge for ever!'
opinion or judgment
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
superlative of “fair” — free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading 'My fairest!
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading 'You do not fear to love me, O lord of my life?'
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Lay it for a moment in mine--a pledge for ever!'
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Let me but touch your hand.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
impossible to hear; imperceptible by the ear
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Lay it for a moment in mine--a pledge for ever!'
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Lay it for a moment in mine--a pledge for ever!'
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Let me but touch your hand.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading 'You do not fear to love me, O lord of my life?'
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading 'You do not fear to love me, O lord of my life?'
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading 'You do not fear to love me, O lord of my life?'
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Let me but touch your hand.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Lay it for a moment in mine--a pledge for ever!'
a particular point in time
From this reading Lay it for a moment in mine--a pledge for ever!'
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading 'My fairest!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading 'You do not fear to love me, O lord of my life?'
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading 'You do not fear to love me, O lord of my life?'
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading 'You do not fear to love me, O lord of my life?'
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
plural of “pace” — the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
promise solemnly and formally
From this reading Lay it for a moment in mine--a pledge for ever!'
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading Let me but touch your hand.
(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND His voice made tremulous music, inaudible a few paces away; his breath was on her cheek; his eyes, as she gazed into them, seemed to envelop her in their glow.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading 'You do not fear to love me, O lord of my life?'
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Let me but touch your hand.
Chapter 5 of Veranilda by George Gissing holds 185 sentences, grouped into 37 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.
Chapter 5 holds 185 sentences of Veranilda, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Veranilda by George Gissing exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 185 sentences, grouped into 37 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.
Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 37 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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.
Common questions about reading Veranilda by George Gissing on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6167 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4306 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4306, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 513 minutes of reading across 1234 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Veranilda section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of Veranilda to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Veranilda, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
