Chapter 23 of Hilda: A Story of Calcutta is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of Hilda: A Story of Calcutta is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire. "I should love to have you, but it isn't possible. You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company." "Oh, well, that of course would be odious." "Very, I should think," Hilda agreed.
Chapter 23 of Hilda: A Story of Calcutta is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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.
united by being of the same opinion
From this reading “"Very, I should think," Hilda agreed.”
the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading “"I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.”
past form of “invite” — increase the likelihood of
From this reading “You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."”
Scottish missionary and explorer who discovered the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls (1813-1873)
From this reading “"I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.”
unequivocally detestable
From this reading “"Oh, well, that of course would be odious."”
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading “You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."”
and nothing more
From this reading “"I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.”
open and genuine; not deceitful
From this reading “"I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.”
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 "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
united by being of the same opinion
From this reading "Very, I should think," Hilda agreed.
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
any thing at all
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "I should love to have you, but it isn't possible.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "Oh, well, that of course would be odious."
the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I should love to have you, but it isn't possible.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Very, I should think," Hilda agreed.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
past form of “invite” — increase the likelihood of
From this reading You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I should love to have you, but it isn't possible.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I should love to have you, but it isn't possible.
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 You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
a polite name for any woman
From this reading You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
Scottish missionary and explorer who discovered the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls (1813-1873)
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading "I should love to have you, but it isn't possible.
come together
From this reading You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
the force of workers available
From this reading You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
unequivocally detestable
From this reading "Oh, well, that of course would be odious."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, well, that of course would be odious."
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
capable of happening or existing
From this reading "I should love to have you, but it isn't possible.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "I should love to have you, but it isn't possible.
and nothing more
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
open and genuine; not deceitful
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Oh, well, that of course would be odious."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
in or at that place or location
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Very, I should think," Hilda agreed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
precisely as stated
From this reading "Very, I should think," Hilda agreed.
(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 "Oh, well, that of course would be odious."
which person or people
From this reading You might meet men you knew who had been invited by particular lady friends among the company."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "I would simply give anything to be there," Miss Livingstone said, with a look of sincere desire.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I should love to have you, but it isn't possible.
Chapter 23 of Hilda: A Story of Calcutta by Sara Jeannette Duncan holds 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 136 sentences of Hilda: A Story of Calcutta, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of Hilda: A Story of Calcutta by Sara Jeannette Duncan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 Hilda: A Story of Calcutta by Sara Jeannette Duncan on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4799 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18051 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18051, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 399 minutes of reading across 960 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Hilda: A Story of Calcutta section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of Hilda: A Story of Calcutta 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 Hilda: A Story of Calcutta, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
