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Flames
Flames

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Flames is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.
Valentine and Julian had argued the question of her real feeling about the matter.
Cuckoo did not argue it.
She never deliberately thought to herself, "I feel this or that.
Why do I feel it?"
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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.

Flames

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Flames is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.
Line 2
Valentine and Julian had argued the question of her real feeling about the matter.
/ˈvæləntaɪn ənd ˈdʒuːliən hæd ˈɑːrɡjuːd ðə ˈkwestʃən ʌv hɜːr riːl ˈfiːlɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðə ˈmætər/
Line 3
Cuckoo did not argue it.
/ˈkʌkuː dɪd nɑːt ˈɑːrɡjuː ɪt/
Line 4
She never deliberately thought to herself, "I feel this or that.
/ʃiː ˈnevər dɪˈlɪbərətli θɔːt tuː hərˈself aɪ fiːl ðɪs ɔːr ðæt/
Line 5
Why do I feel it?"
/waɪ duː aɪ fiːl ɪt/

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.

argue verb US /ˈɑːrɡjuː/

present reasons and arguments

From this reading “Cuckoo did not argue it.”

argued verb US /ˈɑːrɡjuːd/

past form of “argue” — present reasons and arguments

From this reading “Valentine and Julian had argued the question of her real feeling about the matter.”

Cuckoo noun US /ˈkʌkuː/

a man who is a stupid incompetent fool

From this reading “JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.”

deliberately adverb US /dɪˈlɪbərətli/

with intention; in an intentional manner

From this reading “She never deliberately thought to herself, "I feel this or that.”

fears noun US /fɪrz/

plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)

From this reading “JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.”

flame noun US /fleɪm/

A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.

From this reading “JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.”

julian noun US /ˈdʒuːliən/

Roman Emperor and nephew of Constantine; he restored paganism as the official religion of the Roman Empire and destroyed Christian temples but his decision was reversed after his death (331?-363)

From this reading “JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.”

Valentine noun US /ˈvæləntaɪn/

a sweetheart chosen to receive a greeting on Saint Valentine's Day

From this reading “Valentine and Julian had argued the question of her real feeling about the matter.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Valentine and Julian had argued the question of her real feeling about the matter.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

AlthoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Valentine and Julian had argued the question of her real feeling about the matter.

argueverbUS /ˈɑːrɡjuː/

present reasons and arguments

From this reading Cuckoo did not argue it.

arguedverbUS /ˈɑːrɡjuːd/

past form of “argue” — present reasons and arguments

From this reading Valentine and Julian had argued the question of her real feeling about the matter.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

crowdverbUS /kraʊd/

cause to herd, drive, or crowd together

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

CuckoonounUS /ˈkʌkuː/

a man who is a stupid incompetent fool

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

deliberatelyadverbUS /dɪˈlɪbərətli/

with intention; in an intentional manner

From this reading She never deliberately thought to herself, "I feel this or that.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading Cuckoo did not argue it.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Why do I feel it?"

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

FEARSnounUS /fɪrz/

plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading She never deliberately thought to herself, "I feel this or that.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading Valentine and Julian had argued the question of her real feeling about the matter.

FLAMEnounUS /fleɪm/

A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Valentine and Julian had argued the question of her real feeling about the matter.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading She never deliberately thought to herself, "I feel this or that.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading She never deliberately thought to herself, "I feel this or that.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

intentionnounUS /ˌɪnˈtentʃən/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Cuckoo did not argue it.

JULIANnounUS /ˈdʒuːliən/

Roman Emperor and nephew of Constantine; he restored paganism as the official religion of the Roman Empire and destroyed Christian temples but his decision was reversed after his death (331?-363)

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading Valentine and Julian had argued the question of her real feeling about the matter.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading She never deliberately thought to herself, "I feel this or that.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Cuckoo did not argue it.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading She never deliberately thought to herself, "I feel this or that.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

Piccadilly

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

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading Valentine and Julian had argued the question of her real feeling about the matter.

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading Valentine and Julian had argued the question of her real feeling about the matter.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She never deliberately thought to herself, "I feel this or that.

slowly-moving

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

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading She never deliberately thought to herself, "I feel this or that.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading She never deliberately thought to herself, "I feel this or that.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She never deliberately thought to herself, "I feel this or that.

troubledadjectiveUS /ˈtrʌbəld/

characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

ValentinenounUS /ˈvæləntaɪn/

a sweetheart chosen to receive a greeting on Saint Valentine's Day

From this reading Valentine and Julian had argued the question of her real feeling about the matter.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading JULIAN FEARS THE FLAME Although Cuckoo knew well that Julian carried out his intention of going home after he left her in Piccadilly, the fact of his being there, of his making one of that crowd, that slowly-moving crowd, troubled her.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading Why do I feel it?"

Chapter 21 of Flames by Robert Hichens holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 21 of Flames contain?

Chapter 21 holds 425 sentences of Flames, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of Flames by Robert Hichens exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 21 of Flames?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Flames

Common questions about reading Flames by Robert Hichens on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Flames?

Yes. All 12894 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14253 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Flames is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #14253, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Flames take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2579 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Flames section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Flames 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 Flames

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

Opposite
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Flames; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hearth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Flames; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sometimes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Flames; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wonder
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Flames; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.