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A Terrible Secret: A Novel
A Terrible Secret: A Novel

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of A Terrible Secret: A Novel is here in full — 291 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Terrible Secret: A Novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/58 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ONE MOONLIGHT NIGHT.
The pleasant days went on--April went out--May came in.
On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.
To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.
Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.
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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 Terrible Secret: A Novel

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of A Terrible Secret: A Novel is here in full — 291 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/58 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ONE MOONLIGHT NIGHT.
/wʌn ˈmuːnlaɪt naɪt/
Line 2
The pleasant days went on--April went out--May came in.
Line 3
On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.
Line 4
To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.
Line 5
Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

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.

bewildering verb US /bɪˈwɪldərɪŋ/

-ing form of “bewilder” — be a mystery or bewildering to

From this reading “To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.”

Helena noun US /ˈhelənə/

capital of the state of Montana; located in western Montana

From this reading “On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.”

Liverpool noun US /ˈlɪvərpuːl/

a large city in northwestern England; its port is the country's major outlet for industrial exports

From this reading “On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.”

Opera noun US /ˈɑːprə/

a drama set to music; consists of singing with orchestral accompaniment and an orchestral overture and interludes

From this reading “Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.”

shopping noun US /ˈʃɑːpɪŋ/

searching for or buying goods or services

From this reading “Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.”

Stuart noun US /ˈstuːərt/

United States painter best known for his portraits of George Washington (1755-1828)

From this reading “On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.”

tenth noun US /tenθ/

a tenth part; one part in ten equal parts

From this reading “On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.”

Victor noun US /ˈvɪktər/

a combatant who is able to defeat rivals

From this reading “On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

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 Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

AprilnounUS /ˈeɪprəl/

the month following March and preceding May

From this reading The pleasant days went on--April went out--May came in.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.

bewilderingverbUS /bɪˈwɪldərɪŋ/

-ing form of “bewilder” — be a mystery or bewildering to

From this reading To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.

callingnounUS /ˈkɔːlɪŋ/

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading The pleasant days went on--April went out--May came in.

Catheron

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

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The pleasant days went on--April went out--May came in.

delightverbUS /dɪˈlaɪt/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.

dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

drivingadjectiveUS /ˈdraɪvɪŋ/

having the power of driving or impelling

From this reading Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

Edith

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

From this reading To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

excitementnounUS /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/

the feeling of lively and cheerful joy

From this reading To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

goesnounUS /ɡoʊz/

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.

HelenanounUS /ˈhelənə/

capital of the state of Montana; located in western Montana

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The pleasant days went on--April went out--May came in.

LadynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.

LiverpoolnounUS /ˈlɪvərpuːl/

a large city in northwestern England; its port is the country's major outlet for industrial exports

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading The pleasant days went on--April went out--May came in.

MOONLIGHTnounUS /ˈmuːnlaɪt/

the light of the Moon

From this reading ONE MOONLIGHT NIGHT.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

NIGHTnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading ONE MOONLIGHT NIGHT.

nightsnounUS /naɪts/

Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

From this reading To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The pleasant days went on--April went out--May came in.

ONEpronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading ONE MOONLIGHT NIGHT.

OperanounUS /ˈɑːprə/

a drama set to music; consists of singing with orchestral accompaniment and an orchestral overture and interludes

From this reading Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The pleasant days went on--April went out--May came in.

partiesnounUS /ˈpɑːrtiz/

plural of “party” — an organization to gain political power

From this reading Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading The pleasant days went on--April went out--May came in.

Powyss

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

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

receivingverbUS /rəˈsiːvɪŋ/

-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of

From this reading Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

sailverbUS /seɪl/

traverse or travel on (a body of water)

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

shoppingnounUS /ˈʃɑːpɪŋ/

searching for or buying goods or services

From this reading Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

StuartnounUS /ˈstuːərt/

United States painter best known for his portraits of George Washington (1755-1828)

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

tenthnounUS /tenθ/

a tenth part; one part in ten equal parts

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The pleasant days went on--April went out--May came in.

theatrenounUS /ˈθiːətər/

a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented

From this reading Opera, theatre, dinner and evening parties, shopping, driving, calling, receiving--all that goes to make the round of that sort of life, had been run.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

twilightnounUS /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/

the time of day immediately following sunset

From this reading To Edith, fresh from the twilight of her country life, these days and nights had been one bewildering round of excitement and delight.

VictornounUS /ˈvɪktər/

a combatant who is able to defeat rivals

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

wentverbUS /went/

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

From this reading The pleasant days went on--April went out--May came in.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading On the tenth of May, the Stuart family, Sir Victor Catheron, and Lady Helena Powyss were to sail from New York for Liverpool.

Chapter 15 of A Terrible Secret: A Novel by May Agnes Fleming holds 291 sentences, grouped into 59 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 A Terrible Secret: A Novel contain?

Chapter 15 holds 291 sentences of A Terrible Secret: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 59 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of A Terrible Secret: A Novel by May Agnes Fleming exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 291 sentences, grouped into 59 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 A Terrible Secret: A Novel?

Work through the 59 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 59 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 A Terrible Secret: A Novel

Common questions about reading A Terrible Secret: A Novel by May Agnes Fleming on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Terrible Secret: A Novel?

Yes. All 10227 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7063 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Terrible Secret: A Novel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7063, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Terrible Secret: A Novel take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2046 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through A Terrible Secret: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in A Terrible Secret: A Novel

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Terrible Secret: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Genteel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Terrible Secret: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lodging-house
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Terrible Secret: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Neighborhood
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Terrible Secret: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Russell
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Terrible Secret: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.