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A Strange Disappearance
A Strange Disappearance

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of A Strange Disappearance is here in full — 60 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/12 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
But he was not to be discouraged.
And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?
How can you reconcile it with your ideas of devotion, Luttra?”
My ideas of devotion look beyond the present, Mr. Blake.
It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Strange Disappearance

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of A Strange Disappearance is here in full — 60 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
But he was not to be discouraged.
/bʌt hiː wɑːz nɑːt tuː biː dɪˈskɜːrədʒd/
Line 2
And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?
/ənd ˈæftər ɔːl ðɪs ˈæftər ɔːl juː hæv ˈsʌfərd fɔːr maɪ seɪk ənd jɔːr oʊn duː juː θɪŋk juː hæv ə raɪt tuː dɪˈnaɪ miː ðə wʌn dɪˈzaɪər ʌv maɪ hɑːrt/
Line 3
How can you reconcile it with your ideas of devotion, Luttra?”
Line 4
My ideas of devotion look beyond the present, Mr. Blake.
/maɪ aɪˈdiːəz ʌv dɪˈvoʊʃən lʊk bɪˈɑːnd ðə ˈprezənt ˈmɪstər bleɪk/
Line 5
It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”
/ɪt ɪz tuː seɪv juː frʌm jɪrz ʌv ˈwerɪŋ æŋˈzaɪəti ðæt aɪ kənˈsent tuː ðə ˌɪnˈflɪkʃən əˈpɑːn juː ʌv ə ˈpæsɪŋ pæŋ/

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.

Blake noun US /bleɪk/

visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)

From this reading ““My ideas of devotion look beyond the present, Mr. Blake.”

deny verb US /dɪˈnaɪ/

declare untrue; contradict

From this reading ““And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?”

devotion noun US /dɪˈvoʊʃən/

feelings of ardent love

From this reading “How can you reconcile it with your ideas of devotion, Luttra?””

discouraged adjective US /dɪˈskɜːrədʒd/

made less hopeful or enthusiastic

From this reading “But he was not to be discouraged.”

infliction noun US /ˌɪnˈflɪkʃən/

the act of imposing something (as a tax or an embargo)

From this reading “It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.””

pang noun US /pæŋ/

a sudden sharp feeling

From this reading “It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.””

reconcile verb US /ˈrekənsaɪl/

make (one thing) compatible with

From this reading “How can you reconcile it with your ideas of devotion, Luttra?””

wearing noun US /ˈwerɪŋ/

(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it)

From this reading “It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.””

All words in this reading · 56

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 “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

anxietynounUS /æŋˈzaɪəti/

(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic

From this reading It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading But he was not to be discouraged.

beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading “My ideas of devotion look beyond the present, Mr. Blake.

BlakenounUS /bleɪk/

visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)

From this reading “My ideas of devotion look beyond the present, Mr. Blake.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But he was not to be discouraged.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading How can you reconcile it with your ideas of devotion, Luttra?”

consentnounUS /kənˈsent/

permission to do something

From this reading It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”

denyverbUS /dɪˈnaɪ/

declare untrue; contradict

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

desirenounUS /dɪˈzaɪər/

the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

devotionnounUS /dɪˈvoʊʃən/

feelings of ardent love

From this reading How can you reconcile it with your ideas of devotion, Luttra?”

discouragedadjectiveUS /dɪˈskɜːrədʒd/

made less hopeful or enthusiastic

From this reading But he was not to be discouraged.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading But he was not to be discouraged.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

How

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

From this reading How can you reconcile it with your ideas of devotion, Luttra?”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”

ideasnounUS /aɪˈdiːəz/

plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading How can you reconcile it with your ideas of devotion, Luttra?”

inflictionnounUS /ˌɪnˈflɪkʃən/

the act of imposing something (as a tax or an embargo)

From this reading It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading How can you reconcile it with your ideas of devotion, Luttra?”

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading “My ideas of devotion look beyond the present, Mr. Blake.

Luttra

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

From this reading How can you reconcile it with your ideas of devotion, Luttra?”

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading “My ideas of devotion look beyond the present, Mr. Blake.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But he was not to be discouraged.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

pangnounUS /pæŋ/

a sudden sharp feeling

From this reading It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”

passingnounUS /ˈpæsɪŋ/

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading “My ideas of devotion look beyond the present, Mr. Blake.

reconcileverbUS /ˈrekənsaɪl/

make (one thing) compatible with

From this reading How can you reconcile it with your ideas of devotion, Luttra?”

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

sakenounUS /seɪk/

a reason for wanting something done

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”

sufferedverbUS /ˈsʌfərd/

past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But he was not to be discouraged.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading But he was not to be discouraged.

wearingnounUS /ˈwerɪŋ/

(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it)

From this reading It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading How can you reconcile it with your ideas of devotion, Luttra?”

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading It is to save you from years of wearing anxiety that I consent to the infliction upon you of a passing pang.”

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “And after all this, after all you have suffered for my sake and your own, do you think you have a right to deny me the one desire of my heart?

Chapter 20 of A Strange Disappearance by Anna Katharine Green holds 60 sentences, grouped into 12 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 20 of A Strange Disappearance contain?

Chapter 20 holds 60 sentences of A Strange Disappearance, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of A Strange Disappearance by Anna Katharine Green exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 60 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 20 of A Strange Disappearance?

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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Strange Disappearance

Common questions about reading A Strange Disappearance by Anna Katharine Green on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Strange Disappearance?

Yes. All 2218 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1167 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Strange Disappearance is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1167, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Strange Disappearance take to read?

About 184 minutes of reading across 444 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Strange Disappearance section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 20 chapters of A Strange Disappearance 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 A Strange Disappearance

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

Talking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Disappearance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sudden
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Disappearance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Disappearances
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Disappearance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mention
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange Disappearance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.