Chapter 20 of Cicely is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Cicely is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DÉSILLUSIONNÉE. “What made the Ball so fine? Robin was there. * * * * * * But now thou’rt lost to me, Robin Adair. “CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.”
Chapter 20 of Cicely is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/90 · 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.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading ““CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.””
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading ““What made the Ball so fine?”
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading ““What made the Ball so fine?”
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading ““CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.””
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading “* * * * * * But now thou’rt lost to me, Robin Adair.”
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading ““CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.””
small Old World songbird with a reddish breast
From this reading “Robin was there.”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading ““CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.””
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.
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading * * * * * * But now thou’rt lost to me, Robin Adair.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading “CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.”
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading “What made the Ball so fine?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading * * * * * * But now thou’rt lost to me, Robin Adair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DÉSILLUSIONNÉE.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading “What made the Ball so fine?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.”
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading “CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.”
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading * * * * * * But now thou’rt lost to me, Robin Adair.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading “What made the Ball so fine?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading * * * * * * But now thou’rt lost to me, Robin Adair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.”
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading “CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.”
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading * * * * * * But now thou’rt lost to me, Robin Adair.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading “CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.”
small Old World songbird with a reddish breast
From this reading Robin was there.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.”
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “What made the Ball so fine?
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “What made the Ball so fine?
in or at that place or location
From this reading Robin was there.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading * * * * * * But now thou’rt lost to me, Robin Adair.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading * * * * * * But now thou’rt lost to me, Robin Adair.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Robin was there.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What made the Ball so fine?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “CICELY,” said Mrs. Methvyn late that afternoon, “I want you to do something to please me.”
Chapter 20 of Cicely by Mrs. Molesworth holds 450 sentences, grouped into 90 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 20 holds 450 sentences of Cicely, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Cicely by Mrs. Molesworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 450 sentences, grouped into 90 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 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 20 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.
Common questions about reading Cicely by Mrs. Molesworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8830 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72219 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #72219, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1766 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Cicely section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of Cicely 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 Cicely, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
