A Noble Woman

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of A Noble Woman is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ann S. (Ann Sophia) Stephens • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

SECRECY IMPOSED ON TOM FULLER.

During fifteen or twenty minutes Elsie sat pressing both hands to her head, while her eyes filled with tears, and her lips quivered like those of an infant grieved by some hurt it cannot understand.

A voice from the outer passage aroused her.

It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

"Miss Mellen--Elsie, do come down and speak to a fellow.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXI Reading 1/32

A Noble Woman

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of A Noble Woman is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1

SECRECY IMPOSED ON TOM FULLER.

/ˈsiːkrəsi ˌɪmˈpoʊzd ɑːn tɑːm ˈfʊlər/

Line 2

During fifteen or twenty minutes Elsie sat pressing both hands to her head, while her eyes filled with tears, and her lips quivered like those of an infant grieved by some hurt it cannot understand.

Line 3

A voice from the outer passage aroused her.

/ə vɔɪs frʌm ðə ˈaʊtər ˈpæsədʒ ərˈaʊzd hɜːr/

Line 4

It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

/ɪt wɑːz ðæt ʌv tɑːm ˈfʊlər huː hæd wɜːrkt hɪmˈself ˈɪntuː ə steɪt ʌv ˌɪnˈtens ɪkˈsaɪtmənt frʌm fɪr ðæt hɪz rʌf ˈtendərnəs hæd ˈmɔːrtəli əˈfendəd ɪts ˈɑːbdʒekt/

Line 5

"Miss Mellen--Elsie, do come down and speak to a fellow.

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.

fuller noun US /ˈfʊlər/

United States jurist and chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1833-1910)

From this reading “SECRECY IMPOSED ON TOM FULLER.”

grieved verb US /ɡriːvd/

past form of “grieve” — feel grief

From this reading “During fifteen or twenty minutes Elsie sat pressing both hands to her head, while her eyes filled with tears, and her lips quivered like those of an infant grieved by some hurt it cannot understand.”

imposed adjective US /ˌɪmˈpoʊzd/

set forth authoritatively as obligatory

From this reading “SECRECY IMPOSED ON TOM FULLER.”

infant noun US /ˈɪnfənt/

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

mortally adverb US /ˈmɔːrtəli/

in such a manner that death ensues (also in reference to hatred, jealousy, fear, etc.)

From this reading “It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.”

offended adjective US /əˈfendəd/

emotionally hurt or upset or annoyed

From this reading “It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.”

pressing noun US /ˈpresɪŋ/

the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure

secrecy noun US /ˈsiːkrəsi/

the trait of keeping things secret

From this reading “SECRECY IMPOSED ON TOM FULLER.”

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.

mortally offended adverb + adjective

In this reading “It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.”

twenty minutes noun + noun

In this reading “During fifteen or twenty minutes Elsie sat pressing both hands to her head, while her eyes filled with tears, and her lips quivered like those of an infant grieved by some hurt it cannot understand.”

intense excitement adjective + noun

In this reading “It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.”

come down verb + adjective

move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

In this reading “"Miss Mellen--Elsie, do come down and speak to a fellow.”

with tears preposition + noun

into a state preposition + article + noun counted as “into … state”

In this reading “It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.”

All words in this reading · 70

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 A voice from the outer passage aroused her.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading During fifteen or twenty minutes Elsie sat pressing both hands to her head, while her eyes filled with tears, and her lips quivered like those of an infant grieved by some hurt it cannot understand.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

arousedadjectiveUS /ərˈaʊzd/

aroused to action

From this reading A voice from the outer passage aroused her.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

cannot

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

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading "Miss Mellen--Elsie, do come down and speak to a fellow.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "Miss Mellen--Elsie, do come down and speak to a fellow.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading "Miss Mellen--Elsie, do come down and speak to a fellow.

DuringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

Elsie

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

excitementnounUS /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/

the feeling of lively and cheerful joy

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading "Miss Mellen--Elsie, do come down and speak to a fellow.

fifteennounUS /fɪfˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one

filledadjectiveUS /fɪld/

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

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading A voice from the outer passage aroused her.

FULLERnounUS /ˈfʊlər/

United States jurist and chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1833-1910)

From this reading SECRECY IMPOSED ON TOM FULLER.

grievedverbUS /ɡriːvd/

past form of “grieve” — feel grief

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

hurtverbUS /hɜːrt/

be the source of pain

IMPOSEDadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpoʊzd/

set forth authoritatively as obligatory

From this reading SECRECY IMPOSED ON TOM FULLER.

infantnounUS /ˈɪnfənt/

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

intenseadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtens/

possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

lipsnounUS /lɪps/

plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

Mellen

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

From this reading "Miss Mellen--Elsie, do come down and speak to a fellow.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading "Miss Mellen--Elsie, do come down and speak to a fellow.

mortallyadverbUS /ˈmɔːrtəli/

in such a manner that death ensues (also in reference to hatred, jealousy, fear, etc.)

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

objectnounUS /ˈɑːbdʒekt/

a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

offendedadjectiveUS /əˈfendəd/

emotionally hurt or upset or annoyed

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading SECRECY IMPOSED ON TOM FULLER.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

outeradjectiveUS /ˈaʊtər/

being on the outside or further from a center

From this reading A voice from the outer passage aroused her.

passagenounUS /ˈpæsədʒ/

the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading A voice from the outer passage aroused her.

pressingnounUS /ˈpresɪŋ/

the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure

quivered

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

roughadjectiveUS /rʌf/

having or caused by an irregular surface

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

SECRECYnounUS /ˈsiːkrəsi/

the trait of keeping things secret

From this reading SECRECY IMPOSED ON TOM FULLER.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

speakverbUS /spiːk/

express in speech

From this reading "Miss Mellen--Elsie, do come down and speak to a fellow.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

tearsnounUS /terz/

the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

tendernessnounUS /ˈtendərnəs/

a tendency to express warm and affectionate feeling

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A voice from the outer passage aroused her.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

TOMnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading SECRECY IMPOSED ON TOM FULLER.

twentynounUS /ˈtwenti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading A voice from the outer passage aroused her.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

workedverbUS /wɜːrkt/

past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading It was that of Tom Fuller, who had worked himself into a state of intense excitement from fear that his rough tenderness had mortally offended its object.

Chapter 21 of A Noble Woman by Ann S. (Ann Sophia) Stephens holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 21 of A Noble Woman contain?

Chapter 21 holds 161 sentences of A Noble Woman, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of A Noble Woman by Ann S. (Ann Sophia) Stephens exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 21 of A Noble Woman?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Noble Woman

Common questions about reading A Noble Woman by Ann S. (Ann Sophia) Stephens on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Noble Woman?

Yes. All 8105 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30111 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Noble Woman is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #30111, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Noble Woman take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1621 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Noble Woman

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

Noble: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Noble Woman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Woman: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Noble Woman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stephens: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Noble Woman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Noble Woman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXI

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