A wilful ward

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of A wilful ward is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ruth Lamb • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

A HAPPY HOLIDAY MR.

MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

"I do not want my girl to be the prey of some fortune-hunter, or to be drawn into an engagement at an age when she cannot know what will make her true happiness," he had said to his sister and the Mathesons.

Hence Kathleen, as yet, had small acquaintance with so-called "Society."

In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

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Chapter XVI Reading 1/23

A wilful ward Ruth Lamb

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of A wilful ward is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

A HAPPY HOLIDAY MR. MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age. "I do not want my girl to be the prey of some fortune-hunter, or to be drawn into an engagement at an age when she cannot know what will make her true happiness," he had said to his sister and the Mathesons. Hence Kathleen, as yet, had small acquaintance with so-called "Society." In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

A wilful ward

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of A wilful ward is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A HAPPY HOLIDAY MR.

/ə ˈhæpi ˈhɑːlədeɪ ˈmɪstər/

Line 2

MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

Line 3

Line 4

Hence Kathleen, as yet, had small acquaintance with so-called "Society."

Line 5

In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

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.

attractive adjective US /əˈtræktɪv/

pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm

From this reading “In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.”

holiday noun US /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading “A HAPPY HOLIDAY MR.”

resorts noun US /rɪˈzɔːrts/

plural of “resort” — a hotel located in a resort area

seaside noun US /ˈsiːsaɪd/

the shore of a sea or ocean regarded as a resort

seasons noun US /ˈsiːzənz/

plural of “season” — a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field

so-called adjective US /ˈsoʊˈkɔːld/

doubtful or suspect

From this reading “Hence Kathleen, as yet, had small acquaintance with so-called "Society."”

tours noun US /tʊrz/

an industrial city in western France on the Loire River

visits noun US /ˈvɪzɪts/

plural of “visit” — the act of going to see some person or place or thing for a short time

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.

seaside resorts noun + noun counted as “seaside resort”

In this reading “In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.”

true happiness adjective + noun

In this reading “"I do not want my girl to be the prey of some fortune-hunter, or to be drawn into an engagement at an age when she cannot know what will make her true happiness," he had said to his sister and the Mathesons.”

many friends adjective + noun counted as “many friend”

at an age preposition + article + noun counted as “at … age”

All words in this reading · 85

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 HAPPY HOLIDAY MR.

abroadadverbUS /əˈbrɔːd/

to or in a foreign country

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

acquaintancenounUS /əˈkweɪntəns/

personal knowledge or information about someone or something

From this reading Hence Kathleen, as yet, had small acquaintance with so-called "Society."

agenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading "I do not want my girl to be the prey of some fortune-hunter, or to be drawn into an engagement at an age when she cannot know what will make her true happiness," he had said to his sister and the Mathesons.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Hence Kathleen, as yet, had small acquaintance with so-called "Society."

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

attractiveadjectiveUS /əˈtræktɪv/

pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

Aylmer

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

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

cannot

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

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

drawnadjectiveUS /drɔːn/

showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering

Ellicotts

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

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

engagementnounUS /enˈɡeɪdʒmənt/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

expressedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsprest/

communicated in words

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

fortune-hunter

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

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

happinessnounUS /ˈhæpinəs/

state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

HAPPYadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading A HAPPY HOLIDAY MR.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

HenceadverbUS /hens/

for this reason

From this reading Hence Kathleen, as yet, had small acquaintance with so-called "Society."

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

HOLIDAYnounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading A HAPPY HOLIDAY MR.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

Kathleen

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

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

leadverbUS /led/

take somebody somewhere

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

Mathesons

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

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

MOUNTFORD

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

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

MRnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading A HAPPY HOLIDAY MR.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

partlyadverbUS /ˈpɑːrtli/

to some extent; in some degree; not wholly

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

preynounUS /preɪ/

a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

resortsnounUS /rɪˈzɔːrts/

plural of “resort” — a hotel located in a resort area

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

seasidenounUS /ˈsiːsaɪd/

the shore of a sea or ocean regarded as a resort

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

seasonsnounUS /ˈsiːzənz/

plural of “season” — a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

sisternounUS /ˈsɪstər/

a female person who has the same parents as another person

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Hence Kathleen, as yet, had small acquaintance with so-called "Society."

so-calledadjectiveUS /ˈsoʊˈkɔːld/

doubtful or suspect

From this reading Hence Kathleen, as yet, had small acquaintance with so-called "Society."

SocietynounUS /səˈsaɪəti/

an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

From this reading Hence Kathleen, as yet, had small acquaintance with so-called "Society."

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

summernounUS /ˈsʌmər/

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

toursnounUS /tʊrz/

an industrial city in western France on the Loire River

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

visitsnounUS /ˈvɪzɪts/

plural of “visit” — the act of going to see some person or place or thing for a short time

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading In summer there had been tours abroad, visits to attractive seaside resorts, and the two last seasons had been partly spent in town, where the Ellicotts and Aylmer had many friends.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading MOUNTFORD had expressed a wish that Kathleen should lead a quiet, and for the most part a country life, until she was of age.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Hence Kathleen, as yet, had small acquaintance with so-called "Society."

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Hence Kathleen, as yet, had small acquaintance with so-called "Society."

Chapter 16 of A wilful ward by Ruth Lamb holds 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 16 of A wilful ward contain?

Chapter 16 holds 119 sentences of A wilful ward, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of A wilful ward by Ruth Lamb exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 16 of A wilful ward?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 wilful ward

Common questions about reading A wilful ward by Ruth Lamb on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A wilful ward?

Yes. All 4189 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #71061 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A wilful ward is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #71061, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A wilful ward take to read?

About 349 minutes of reading across 838 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A wilful ward

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

Choice: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A wilful ward; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Twilight: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A wilful ward; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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London: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A wilful ward; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XVI

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