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Bessy Rane: A Novel
Bessy Rane: A Novel

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of Bessy Rane: A Novel is here in full — 252 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Bessy Rane: A Novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/50 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE TONTINE.
The tontine.
If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.
Tontines may be of different arrangement.
In fact they are so.
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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.

Bessy Rane: A Novel

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of Bessy Rane: A Novel is here in full — 252 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE TONTINE.
Line 2
The tontine.
Line 3
If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.
Line 4
Tontines may be of different arrangement.
Line 5
In fact they are so.
/ɪn fækt ðeɪ ɑːr soʊ/

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.

arrangement noun US /ərˈeɪndʒmənt/

the thing arranged or agreed to

From this reading “Tontines may be of different arrangement.”

enter verb US /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading “If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.”

history noun US /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading “If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.”

holds noun US /hoʊldz/

plural of “hold” — the act of grasping

From this reading “If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.”

important adjective US /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

of great significance or value

From this reading “If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.”

reader noun US /ˈriːdər/

a person who enjoys reading

From this reading “If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.”

results noun US /rɪˈzʌlts/

plural of “result” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading “If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.”

share verb US /ʃer/

have in common

From this reading “If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.”

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.

In fact preposition + noun

in reality or actuality

In this reading “In fact they are so.”

with interest preposition + noun

In this reading “If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.”

All words in this reading · 34

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 If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading In fact they are so.

arrangementnounUS /ərˈeɪndʒmənt/

the thing arranged or agreed to

From this reading Tontines may be of different arrangement.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Tontines may be of different arrangement.

differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

From this reading Tontines may be of different arrangement.

enterverbUS /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading In fact they are so.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

holdsnounUS /hoʊldz/

plural of “hold” — the act of grasping

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

how

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

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

importantadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

of great significance or value

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Tontines may be of different arrangement.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Tontines may be of different arrangement.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

readernounUS /ˈriːdər/

a person who enjoys reading

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

resultsnounUS /rɪˈzʌlts/

plural of “result” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

shareverbUS /ʃer/

have in common

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading In fact they are so.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE TONTINE.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading In fact they are so.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

TONTINEnoun

a form of life insurance whereby on the death or default of a participant his share is distributed to the remaining members

From this reading THE TONTINE.

Tontines

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

From this reading Tontines may be of different arrangement.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading If the reader only knew how important a share the tontine--with its results--holds in this little history, he would enter on it with interest.

Chapter 17 of Bessy Rane: A Novel by Henry, Mrs. Wood holds 252 sentences, grouped into 51 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 17 of Bessy Rane: A Novel contain?

Chapter 17 holds 252 sentences of Bessy Rane: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Bessy Rane: A Novel by Henry, Mrs. Wood exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 252 sentences, grouped into 51 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 17 of Bessy Rane: A Novel?

Work through the 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 51 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Bessy Rane: A Novel

Common questions about reading Bessy Rane: A Novel by Henry, Mrs. Wood on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Bessy Rane: A Novel?

Yes. All 11951 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58288 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Bessy Rane: A Novel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #58288, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Bessy Rane: A Novel take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2391 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Bessy Rane: A Novel section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of Bessy Rane: A Novel 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 Bessy Rane: A Novel

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

Anonymous
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bessy Rane: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Letter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bessy Rane: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Intensely
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bessy Rane: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Night
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bessy Rane: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.