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When It Was Dark
When It Was Dark

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of When It Was Dark is here in full — 78 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Guy Thorne • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for When It Was Dark
Context Illustration Reading 1/15 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.
He seemed slightly agitated.
"I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.
Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."
The man bowed slightly and went noiselessly away.
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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.

When It Was Dark

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of When It Was Dark is here in full — 78 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.
Line 2
He seemed slightly agitated.
/hiː siːmd ˈslaɪtli ˈædʒəteɪtɪd/
Line 3
"I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.
/aɪ beɡ jɔːr ˈpɑːrdən ˈfɑːðər hiː sed bʌt sɜːr ˈmaɪkəl ˌɪnˈstrʌktəd miː tuː kʌm tuː juː æt wʌns/
Line 4
Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."
/sɜːr ˈmaɪkəl beɡz ðæt juː wɪl red ðə ˈkɑːləmz mɑːrkt ɪn ðɪs ˈpeɪpər ənd ðen dʒɔɪn hɪm æt wʌns ɪn hɪz oʊn ruːm/
Line 5
The man bowed slightly and went noiselessly away.

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.

agitated adjective US /ˈædʒəteɪtɪd/

troubled emotionally and usually deeply

From this reading “He seemed slightly agitated.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
begs verb US /beɡz/

third-person singular of “beg” — call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading “Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
columns noun US /ˈkɑːləmz/

plural of “column” — a line of units following one after another

From this reading “Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
confidential adjective US /ˌkɑːnfəˈdenʃəl/

entrusted with private information and the confidence of another

From this reading “"I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
instructed verb US /ˌɪnˈstrʌktəd/

past form of “instruct” — impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading “"I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knock verb US /nɑːk/

deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading “"I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Michael noun US /ˈmaɪkəl/

(Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews

From this reading “"I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Michael's noun US /ˈmaɪkəlz/

possessive form of “michael” — (Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews

From this reading “"I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

next morning adjective + noun

In this reading “"I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.”

52,521 times in 426,211 chapters
at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “"I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.”

257,448 times in 426,211 chapters
about nine preposition + noun

In this reading “"I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.”

3,227 times in 426,211 chapters
knock at verb + particle

In this reading “"I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.”

12,461 times in 426,211 chapters
own room verb + noun

In this reading “Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."”

11,613 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 58

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 "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
agitatedadjectiveUS /ˈædʒəteɪtɪd/

troubled emotionally and usually deeply

From this reading He seemed slightly agitated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The man bowed slightly and went noiselessly away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
begverbUS /beɡ/

call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading "I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
begsverbUS /beɡz/

third-person singular of “beg” — call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bowedadjectiveUS /baʊd/

of a stringed instrument; sounded by stroking with a bow

From this reading The man bowed slightly and went noiselessly away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
columnsnounUS /ˈkɑːləmz/

plural of “column” — a line of units following one after another

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
confidentialadjectiveUS /ˌkɑːnfəˈdenʃəl/

entrusted with private information and the confidence of another

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

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

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He seemed slightly agitated.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
instructedverbUS /ˌɪnˈstrʌktəd/

past form of “instruct” — impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading "I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
joinverbUS /dʒɔɪn/

become part of; become a member of a group or organization

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JOSEPHnounUS /ˈdʒoʊsəf/

leader of the Nez Perce in their retreat from United States troops (1840-1904)

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knockverbUS /nɑːk/

deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Lindner

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

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

Pending verification
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/

strongly marked; easily noticeable

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading "I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
MichaelnounUS /ˈmaɪkəl/

(Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews

From this reading "I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Michael'snounUS /ˈmaɪkəlz/

possessive form of “michael” — (Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ninenounUS /naɪn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
noiselesslyadverb

without a sound

From this reading The man bowed slightly and went noiselessly away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading "I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pardonverbUS /ˈpɑːrdən/

accept an excuse for

From this reading "I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ripon's

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

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

Pending verification
roomnounUS /ruːm/

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

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading He seemed slightly agitated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
slightlyadverbUS /ˈslaɪtli/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading He seemed slightly agitated.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "I, JOSEPH" At about nine o'clock the next morning there was a knock at Father Ripon's door and Lindner, Sir Michael's confidential man, entered.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading The man bowed slightly and went noiselessly away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Sir Michael begs that you will read the columns marked in this paper and then join him at once in his own room."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I beg your pardon, Father," he said, "but Sir Michael instructed me to come to you at once.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 15 of When It Was Dark by Guy Thorne holds 78 sentences, grouped into 16 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 15 of When It Was Dark contain?

Chapter 15 holds 78 sentences of When It Was Dark, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of When It Was Dark by Guy Thorne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 78 sentences, grouped into 16 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 15 of When It Was Dark?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 When It Was Dark

Common questions about reading When It Was Dark by Guy Thorne on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of When It Was Dark?

Yes. All 6775 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39666 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of When It Was Dark is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #39666, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does When It Was Dark take to read?

About 564 minutes of reading across 1355 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in When It Was Dark

Words and structures a reader meets early in When It Was Dark, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Hinchcliffe
A word that appears in the opening chapter of When It Was Dark; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sexton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of When It Was Dark; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Looked
A word that appears in the opening chapter of When It Was Dark; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Philemon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of When It Was Dark; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.