Chapter 23 of Falling in with Fortune is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of Falling in with Fortune is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AUNT AND NEPHEW'S AGREEMENT. "Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak. "I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly. "But this is a--a--all a mistake," he faltered. "There is no mistake.
Chapter 23 of Falling in with Fortune is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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 statement (oral or written) of an exchange of promises
From this reading “AUNT AND NEPHEW'S AGREEMENT.”
present reasons and arguments
From this reading “"I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.”
past form of “falter” — be unsure or weak
From this reading “"But this is a--a--all a mistake," he faltered.”
with resolute determination
From this reading “"I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.”
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading “"Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak.”
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading “"But this is a--a--all a mistake," he faltered.”
possessive form of “nephew” — a son of your brother or sister
From this reading “AUNT AND NEPHEW'S AGREEMENT.”
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading “"I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "But this is a--a--all a mistake," he faltered.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading "Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak.
the statement (oral or written) of an exchange of promises
From this reading AUNT AND NEPHEW'S AGREEMENT.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading "But this is a--a--all a mistake," he faltered.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading AUNT AND NEPHEW'S AGREEMENT.
present reasons and arguments
From this reading "I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading AUNT AND NEPHEW'S AGREEMENT.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But this is a--a--all a mistake," he faltered.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak.
past form of “falter” — be unsure or weak
From this reading "But this is a--a--all a mistake," he faltered.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading "Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak.
with resolute determination
From this reading "I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak.
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading "Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "But this is a--a--all a mistake," he faltered.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading "I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak.
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading "But this is a--a--all a mistake," he faltered.
possessive form of “nephew” — a son of your brother or sister
From this reading AUNT AND NEPHEW'S AGREEMENT.
not any; not one
From this reading "There is no mistake.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading "I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.
express in speech
From this reading "Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There is no mistake.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "But this is a--a--all a mistake," he faltered.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak.
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading "I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak.
at the time that
From this reading "Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "I do mean it, Frederic, and it will be useless for you to argue the question," replied the lady, firmly.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Aunt, you don't mean it!" gasped Frederic Vernon, when he felt able to speak.
Chapter 23 of Falling in with Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 23 holds 128 sentences of Falling in with Fortune, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of Falling in with Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 23 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 Falling in with Fortune by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4022 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58304 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #58304, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 335 minutes of reading across 805 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Falling in with Fortune section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 33 chapters of Falling in with Fortune 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 Falling in with Fortune, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
