Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Clever Betsy: A Novel
Clever Betsy: A Novel

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Clever Betsy: A Novel is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Clara Louise Burnham • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Clever Betsy: A Novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.
She was in her bedroom wrapped in a negligée when she admitted him.
“Was it very beautiful?” she asked eagerly.
“Very extensive; yes, fine,” he replied.
“You must take me up there to-morrow, Irving.”
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Clever Betsy: A Novel

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Clever Betsy: A Novel is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.
Line 2
She was in her bedroom wrapped in a negligée when she admitted him.
Line 3
“Was it very beautiful?” she asked eagerly.
/wɑːz ɪt ˈveri ˈbjuːtəfəl ʃiː æskt ˈiːɡərli/
Line 4
“Very extensive; yes, fine,” he replied.
/ˈveri ɪkˈstensɪv jes faɪn hiː rɪˈplaɪd/
Line 5
“You must take me up there to-morrow, Irving.”

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.

bedroom noun US /ˈbedruːm/

a room used primarily for sleeping

From this reading “She was in her bedroom wrapped in a negligée when she admitted him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Bruce noun US /bruːs/

Australian physician and bacteriologist who described the bacterium that causes undulant fever or brucellosis (1855-1931)

From this reading “AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
exodus noun US /ˈeksədəs/

a journey by a large group to escape from a hostile environment

From this reading “AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
extensive adjective US /ɪkˈstensɪv/

large in spatial extent or range or scope or quantity

From this reading ““Very extensive; yes, fine,” he replied.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Irving noun US /ˈɜːrvɪŋ/

United States writer remembered for his stories (1783-1859)

From this reading ““You must take me up there to-morrow, Irving.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Lookout noun US /ˈlʊkaʊt/

a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event

From this reading “AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stepmother noun US /ˈstepmʌðər/

the wife of your father by a subsequent marriage

From this reading “AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wrapped adjective US /ræpt/

covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak

From this reading “She was in her bedroom wrapped in a negligée when she admitted him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

asked eagerly verb + particle counted as “ask eagerly”

In this reading ““Was it very beautiful?” she asked eagerly.”

1,398 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 56

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 She was in her bedroom wrapped in a negligée when she admitted him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
admittedverbUS /ədˈmɪtɪd/

inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading She was in her bedroom wrapped in a negligée when she admitted him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ANdeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
appearverbUS /əˈpɪr/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “Was it very beautiful?” she asked eagerly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading “Was it very beautiful?” she asked eagerly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bedroomnounUS /ˈbedruːm/

a room used primarily for sleeping

From this reading She was in her bedroom wrapped in a negligée when she admitted him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BrucenounUS /bruːs/

Australian physician and bacteriologist who described the bacterium that causes undulant fever or brucellosis (1855-1931)

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
eagerlyadverbUS /ˈiːɡərli/

with eagerness; in an eager manner

From this reading “Was it very beautiful?” she asked eagerly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EXODUSnounUS /ˈeksədəs/

a journey by a large group to escape from a hostile environment

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
extensiveadjectiveUS /ɪkˈstensɪv/

large in spatial extent or range or scope or quantity

From this reading “Very extensive; yes, fine,” he replied.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading “Very extensive; yes, fine,” he replied.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She was in her bedroom wrapped in a negligée when she admitted him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading She was in her bedroom wrapped in a negligée when she admitted him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
innnounUS /ɪn/

a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
interviewverbUS /ˈɪntərvjuː/

conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IrvingnounUS /ˈɜːrvɪŋ/

United States writer remembered for his stories (1783-1859)

From this reading “You must take me up there to-morrow, Irving.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LookoutnounUS /ˈlʊkaʊt/

a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
man'snounUS /mænz/

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Maynard

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

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Pending verification
mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading “You must take me up there to-morrow, Irving.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moodnounUS /muːd/

a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “You must take me up there to-morrow, Irving.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
negligée

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

From this reading She was in her bedroom wrapped in a negligée when she admitted him.

Pending verification
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading “Very extensive; yes, fine,” he replied.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She was in her bedroom wrapped in a negligée when she admitted him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
soughtadjectiveUS /sɔːt/

that is looked for

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stepmothernounUS /ˈstepmʌðər/

the wife of your father by a subsequent marriage

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading “You must take me up there to-morrow, Irving.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading “You must take me up there to-morrow, Irving.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
to-morrow

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

From this reading “You must take me up there to-morrow, Irving.”

Pending verification
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading “You must take me up there to-morrow, Irving.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading “Was it very beautiful?” she asked eagerly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading She was in her bedroom wrapped in a negligée when she admitted him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WHATEVERdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wrappedadjectiveUS /ræpt/

covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak

From this reading She was in her bedroom wrapped in a negligée when she admitted him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading “Very extensive; yes, fine,” he replied.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You must take me up there to-morrow, Irving.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading AN EXODUS WHATEVER interview Miss Maynard and Bruce may have had in the Lookout of the inn, it did not appear to have changed the young man’s mood when later he sought his stepmother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 15 of Clever Betsy: A Novel by Clara Louise Burnham holds 202 sentences, grouped into 41 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 15 of Clever Betsy: A Novel contain?

Chapter 15 holds 202 sentences of Clever Betsy: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Clever Betsy: A Novel by Clara Louise Burnham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 202 sentences, grouped into 41 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 15 of Clever Betsy: A Novel?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Clever Betsy: A Novel

Common questions about reading Clever Betsy: A Novel by Clara Louise Burnham on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Clever Betsy: A Novel?

Yes. All 5565 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52908 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Clever Betsy: A Novel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #52908, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Clever Betsy: A Novel take to read?

About 463 minutes of reading across 1113 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Clever Betsy: A Novel section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 29 chapters of Clever Betsy: 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 Clever Betsy: A Novel

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

Clever
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clever Betsy: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Betsy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clever Betsy: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Illustrated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clever Betsy: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Postage
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clever Betsy: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.