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Armadale
Armadale

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Armadale is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Armadale
Context Illustration Reading 1/78 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Your obedient servant, DAVID MILROY.”
The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.
When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.
Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.
If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Armadale

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Armadale is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/78 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Your obedient servant, “DAVID MILROY.”
Line 2
The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.
Line 3
When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.
Line 4
Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.
Line 5
If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

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.

banishment noun US /ˈbænɪʃmənt/

the state of being banished or ostracized (excluded from society by general consent)

From this reading “Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.”

blackest adjective US /ˈblækəst/

superlative of “black” — being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading “The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.”

calendar noun US /ˈkæləndər/

a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year

From this reading “The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.”

major's noun US /ˈmeɪdʒərz/

possessive form of “major” — a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain

regretfully adverb US /rɪˈɡretfəli/

with regret (used in polite formulas)

From this reading “Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.”

Reverting noun US /rɪˈvɜːrtɪŋ/

a failure to maintain a higher state

From this reading “Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.”

reviewed verb US /riˈvjuːd/

past form of “review” — look at again; examine again

From this reading ““If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.””

subsided verb US /səbˈsaɪdɪd/

past form of “subside” — wear off or die down

From this reading “When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.”

All words in this reading · 99

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 When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

Allan

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

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

Allan's

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

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/

feeling or showing anger

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

banishmentnounUS /ˈbænɪʃmənt/

the state of being banished or ostracized (excluded from society by general consent)

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

bitteradjectiveUS /ˈbɪtər/

marked by strong resentment or cynicism

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

blackestadjectiveUS /ˈblækəst/

superlative of “black” — being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

calendarnounUS /ˈkæləndər/

a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

clientnounUS /ˈklaɪənt/

a person who seeks the advice of a lawyer

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

contemptnounUS /kənˈtempt/

lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

cottagenounUS /ˈkɑːtədʒ/

a small house with a single story

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

DAVIDnounUS /ˈdeɪvɪd/

patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)

From this reading “Your obedient servant, “DAVID MILROY.”

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

depressionnounUS /dɪˈpreʃən/

a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

effortsnounUS /ˈefərts/

plural of “effort” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

insteadadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsted/

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

intercoursenounUS /ˈɪntərkɔːrs/

communication between individuals

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

major'snounUS /ˈmeɪdʒərz/

possessive form of “major” — a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/

strongly marked; easily noticeable

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

memorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

MILROY

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

From this reading “Your obedient servant, “DAVID MILROY.”

MondaynounUS /ˈmʌndi/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

naturallyadverbUS /ˈnætʃərəli/

as might be expected

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

Neelie

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

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

neighbornounUS /ˈneɪbər/

a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

obedientadjectiveUS /oʊˈbiːdiənt/

dutifully complying with the commands or instructions of those in authority

From this reading “Your obedient servant, “DAVID MILROY.”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

Pedgift's

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

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

penitently

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

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

pronouncedadjectiveUS /prəˈnaʊnst/

strongly marked; easily noticeable

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

reflectionnounUS /rɪˈflekʃən/

a calm, lengthy, intent consideration

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

regretfullyadverbUS /rɪˈɡretfəli/

with regret (used in polite formulas)

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

RevertingnounUS /rɪˈvɜːrtɪŋ/

a failure to maintain a higher state

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

reviewedverbUS /riˈvjuːd/

past form of “review” — look at again; examine again

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

rouseverbUS /raʊs/

become active

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

sentencenounUS /ˈsentəns/

a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

servantnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənt/

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading “Your obedient servant, “DAVID MILROY.”

servedverbUS /sɜːrvd/

past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

shouldn't

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

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

shutverbUS /ʃʌt/

move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

statenounUS /steɪt/

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

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

subsidedverbUS /səbˈsaɪdɪd/

past form of “subside” — wear off or die down

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

sunkadjectiveUS /sʌŋk/

doomed to extinction

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

tonenounUS /toʊn/

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

travelingnounUS /ˈtrævəlɪŋ/

the act of going from one place to another

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

wentverbUS /went/

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

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When Allan’s first angry sense of the tone of contempt in which his friend and neighbor pronounced sentence on him had subsided, it left him sunk in a state of depression from which no efforts made by his traveling companion could rouse him for the rest of the day.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Reverting naturally, now that his sentence of banishment had been pronounced, to his early intercourse with the cottage, his memory went back to Neelie, more regretfully and more penitently than it had gone back to her yet.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading “If _she_ had shut the door on me, instead of her father,” was the bitter reflection with which Allan now reviewed the past, “I shouldn’t have had a word to say against it; I should have felt it served me right.”

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading The Monday morning on which his client received the major’s letter was the blackest Monday that had yet been marked in Pedgift’s calendar.

YourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Your obedient servant, “DAVID MILROY.”

Chapter 21 of Armadale by Wilkie Collins holds 394 sentences, grouped into 79 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 Armadale contain?

Chapter 21 holds 394 sentences of Armadale, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of Armadale by Wilkie Collins exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 394 sentences, grouped into 79 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 Armadale?

Work through the 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 79 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 Armadale

Common questions about reading Armadale by Wilkie Collins on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Armadale?

Yes. All 16166 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1895 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Armadale is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1895, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Armadale take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 3234 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Armadale section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Armadale 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 Armadale

Words and structures a reader meets early in Armadale, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Forster
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Armadale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Acknowledgment
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Armadale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Services
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Armadale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rendered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Armadale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.