Chapter 33 of Bessy Rane: A Novel is here in full — 270 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXIII
Chapter 33 of Bessy Rane: A Novel is here in full — 270 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
COMING VERY NEAR. When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax. Time must be given them to grow and settle down. It came at length, however, here. Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
Chapter 33 of Bessy Rane: A Novel is here in full — 270 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/54 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
come into existence; take on form or shape
From this reading “When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.”
plural of “assertion” — a declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary)
From this reading “Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.”
the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding
From this reading “When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.”
plural of “conviction” — an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence
From this reading “Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.”
of wines, fruit, cheeses; having reached a desired or final condition; (“aged” pronounced as one syllable)
From this reading “Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.”
plural of “rumour” — gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth
From this reading “When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.”
kept from public knowledge by various means
From this reading “Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.”
past form of “widen” — become broader or wider or more extensive
From this reading “Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.”
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 a lengthy or prolix manner
In this reading “It came at length, however, here.”
settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground
In this reading “Time must be given them to grow and settle down.”
In this reading “Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.”
In this reading “Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.”
In this reading “When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Time must be given them to grow and settle down.
come into existence; take on form or shape
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
plural of “assertion” — a declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary)
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It came at length, however, here.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Time must be given them to grow and settle down.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It came at length, however, here.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading COMING VERY NEAR.
plural of “conviction” — an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
plural of “doubt” — the state of being unsure of something
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Time must be given them to grow and settle down.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading Time must be given them to grow and settle down.
death of a person
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading Time must be given them to grow and settle down.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading It came at length, however, here.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading It came at length, however, here.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It came at length, however, here.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading It came at length, however, here.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
killed unlawfully
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Time must be given them to grow and settle down.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading COMING VERY NEAR.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
United States jazz musician who influenced the style of Louis Armstrong (1885-1938)
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
of wines, fruit, cheeses; having reached a desired or final condition; (“aged” pronounced as one syllable)
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
plural of “rumour” — gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground
From this reading Time must be given them to grow and settle down.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
kept from public knowledge by various means
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Time must be given them to grow and settle down.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Time must be given them to grow and settle down.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
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 Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
precisely as stated
From this reading COMING VERY NEAR.
at the time that
From this reading When rumours of this grave character arise, they do not come suddenly to a climax.
past form of “widen” — become broader or wider or more extensive
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading Doubts ripened into convictions: suppressed breathings widened into broad assertions: Oliver Rane had certainly murdered his wife for the sake of the tontine money.
Chapter 33 of Bessy Rane: A Novel by Henry, Mrs. Wood holds 270 sentences, grouped into 54 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.
Chapter 33 holds 270 sentences of Bessy Rane: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 33 of Bessy Rane: A Novel by Henry, Mrs. Wood exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 270 sentences, grouped into 54 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.
Work through the 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 54 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 33 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.
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About 600 minutes of reading across 2391 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Bessy Rane: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Bessy Rane: A Novel to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Bessy Rane: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
