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A Chance Acquaintance
A Chance Acquaintance

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of A Chance Acquaintance is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
XI.
KITTY ANSWERS.
It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.
"The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.
But it's just as well; I know you've had a splendid time.
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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.

A Chance Acquaintance

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of A Chance Acquaintance is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
XI.
/ʃiː/
Line 2
KITTY ANSWERS.
/ˈkɪti ˈænsərz/
Line 3
It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.
Line 4
"The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.
Line 5
But it's just as well; I know you've had a splendid time.

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.

answers noun US /ˈænsərz/

plural of “answer” — a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading “KITTY ANSWERS.”

expedition noun US /ˌekspəˈdɪʃən/

a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country

From this reading “"The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.”

Fanny noun US /ˈfæni/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading “"The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.”

forgot verb US /fərˈɡɑːt/

inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading “"The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.”

kitty noun US /ˈkɪti/

the combined stakes of the betters

From this reading “KITTY ANSWERS.”

Louis noun US /ˈluːɪs/

United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)

From this reading “"The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.”

sank verb US /sæŋk/

inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level

From this reading “It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.”

twilight noun US /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/

the time of day immediately following sunset

From this reading “It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.”

All words in this reading · 51

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 colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

ANSWERSnounUS /ˈænsərz/

plural of “answer” — a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading KITTY ANSWERS.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading But it's just as well; I know you've had a splendid time.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But it's just as well; I know you've had a splendid time.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

colonelnounUS /ˈkɜːrnəl/

a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

dimmest

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

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

Ellison's

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

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

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

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

expeditionnounUS /ˌekspəˈdɪʃən/

a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

FannynounUS /ˈfæni/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

forgotverbUS /fərˈɡɑːt/

inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading But it's just as well; I know you've had a splendid time.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading But it's just as well; I know you've had a splendid time.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

it's

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

From this reading But it's just as well; I know you've had a splendid time.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading But it's just as well; I know you've had a splendid time.

KITTYnounUS /ˈkɪti/

the combined stakes of the betters

From this reading KITTY ANSWERS.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading But it's just as well; I know you've had a splendid time.

LouisnounUS /ˈluːɪs/

United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

metverbUS /met/

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

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

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

sankverbUS /sæŋk/

inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

splendidadjectiveUS /ˈsplendɪd/

having great beauty and splendor

From this reading But it's just as well; I know you've had a splendid time.

St

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

From this reading "The colonel met a friend at the St. Louis, and forgot about the expedition, Kitty," said Fanny, "and he only came in half an hour ago.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading But it's just as well; I know you've had a splendid time.

twilightnounUS /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/

the time of day immediately following sunset

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

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 But it's just as well; I know you've had a splendid time.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It was dimmest twilight when Kitty entered Mrs. Ellison's room and sank down on the first chair in silence.

XInounUS /ʃiː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one

From this reading XI.

you've

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

From this reading But it's just as well; I know you've had a splendid time.

Chapter 5 of A Chance Acquaintance by William Dean Howells holds 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 5 of A Chance Acquaintance contain?

Chapter 5 holds 412 sentences of A Chance Acquaintance, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of A Chance Acquaintance by William Dean Howells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 5 of A Chance Acquaintance?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 5 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading A Chance Acquaintance

Common questions about reading A Chance Acquaintance by William Dean Howells on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Chance Acquaintance?

Yes. All 2456 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18555 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Chance Acquaintance is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #18555, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Chance Acquaintance take to read?

About 204 minutes of reading across 492 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Chance Acquaintance section by section

How to work through A Chance Acquaintance section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 A Chance Acquaintance

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Chance Acquaintance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chance
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Chance Acquaintance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Acquaintance
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Chance Acquaintance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Howells
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Chance Acquaintance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ticknor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Chance Acquaintance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.