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Bleak House
Bleak House

Chapter XXII · Chapter 22

Chapter 22 of Bleak House is here in full — 685 sentences across 137 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/137 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.
My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.
I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.
This was my first gain from my illness.
How little I had lost, when the wide world was so full of delight for me.
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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.

Bleak House

Chapter XXII · Chapter 22

Chapter 22 of Bleak House is here in full — 685 sentences across 137 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/137 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.
Line 2
My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.
Line 3
I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.
/aɪ faʊnd ˈevəri breθ ʌv er ənd ˈevəri sɛnt ənd ˈevəri ˈflaʊər ənd liːf ənd bleɪd ʌv ɡræs ənd ˈevəri ˈpæsɪŋ klaʊd ənd ˈevriθɪŋ ɪn ˈneɪtʃər mɔːr ˈbjuːtəfəl ənd ˈwʌndərfəl tuː miː ðæn aɪ hæd ˈevər faʊnd ɪt jet/
Line 4
This was my first gain from my illness.
/ðɪs wɑːz maɪ fɜːrst ɡeɪn frʌm maɪ ˈɪlnəs/
Line 5
How little I had lost, when the wide world was so full of delight for me.

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.

blade noun US /bleɪd/

especially a leaf of grass or the broad portion of a leaf as distinct from the petiole

From this reading “I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.”

expedition noun US /ˌekspəˈdɪʃən/

a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country

From this reading “Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.”

guardian noun US /ˈɡɑːrdiən/

a person who cares for persons or property

From this reading “My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.”

illness noun US /ˈɪlnəs/

impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism

From this reading “This was my first gain from my illness.”

leaf noun US /liːf/

the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading “I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.”

Lincolnshire noun US /ˈlɪŋkənʃɪr/

an agricultural county of eastern England on the North Sea

From this reading “Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.”

scent noun US /sɛnt/

A distinctive smell or aroma.

From this reading “I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.”

Wold noun US /woʊld/

a tract of open rolling country (especially upland)

From this reading “Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.”

All words in this reading · 78

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.

accompaniedadjectiveUS /əˈkʌmpənid/

having companions or an escort

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

bladenounUS /bleɪd/

especially a leaf of grass or the broad portion of a leaf as distinct from the petiole

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

Boythorn's

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

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

breathnounUS /breθ/

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

Charley

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

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

Chesney

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

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

cloudverbUS /klaʊd/

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

delightverbUS /dɪˈlaɪt/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading How little I had lost, when the wide world was so full of delight for me.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

expeditionnounUS /ˌekspəˈdɪʃən/

a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading This was my first gain from my illness.

flowernounUS /ˈflaʊər/

a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading How little I had lost, when the wide world was so full of delight for me.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading This was my first gain from my illness.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading How little I had lost, when the wide world was so full of delight for me.

gainverbUS /ɡeɪn/

obtain

From this reading This was my first gain from my illness.

grassverbUS /ɡræs/

shoot down, of birds

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

guardiannounUS /ˈɡɑːrdiən/

a person who cares for persons or property

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

How

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

From this reading How little I had lost, when the wide world was so full of delight for me.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

illnessnounUS /ˈɪlnəs/

impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism

From this reading This was my first gain from my illness.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

leafnounUS /liːf/

the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

LincolnshirenounUS /ˈlɪŋkənʃɪr/

an agricultural county of eastern England on the North Sea

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading How little I had lost, when the wide world was so full of delight for me.

loseverbUS /luːz/

fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading How little I had lost, when the wide world was so full of delight for me.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

passingnounUS /ˈpæsɪŋ/

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

roadnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

safeadjectiveUS /seɪf/

free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

scentnounUS /sɛnt/

A distinctive smell or aroma.

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This was my first gain from my illness.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading My guardian had made up his mind not to lose sight of me until I was safe in Mr. Boythorn’s house, so he accompanied us, and we were two days upon the road.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading How little I had lost, when the wide world was so full of delight for me.

wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading How little I had lost, when the wide world was so full of delight for me.

WoldnounUS /woʊld/

a tract of open rolling country (especially upland)

From this reading Chesney Wold Charley and I did not set off alone upon our expedition into Lincolnshire.

wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading How little I had lost, when the wide world was so full of delight for me.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading I found every breath of air, and every scent, and every flower and leaf and blade of grass, and every passing cloud, and everything in nature, more beautiful and wonderful to me than I had ever found it yet.

Chapter 22 of Bleak House by Charles Dickens holds 685 sentences, grouped into 137 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 22 of Bleak House contain?

Chapter 22 holds 685 sentences of Bleak House, unabridged, divided into 137 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 22 of Bleak House by Charles Dickens exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 685 sentences, grouped into 137 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 22 of Bleak House?

Work through the 137 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 137 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 22 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 22 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 Bleak House

Common questions about reading Bleak House by Charles Dickens on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Bleak House?

Yes. All 19360 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1023 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Bleak House is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1023, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Bleak House take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 3872 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Bleak House section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Bleak House 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 Bleak House

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

London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bleak House; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Michaelmas
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bleak House; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lately
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bleak House; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chancellor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bleak House; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.