Horace Chase

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of Horace Chase is here in full — 47 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Constance Fenimore Woolson • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

The wedding was over.

Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

Maud Muriel had consented with solemnity.

"It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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Horace Chase

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of Horace Chase is here in full — 47 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

The wedding was over.

/ðə ˈwedɪŋ wɑːz ˈoʊvər/

Line 2

Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

/ˈprɪti ˈlɪtəl ˈtrɪnəti tʃɜːrtʃ wɑːz left əˈloʊn wɪð ɪts ˌdekərˈeɪʃənz ʌv ˈflaʊərz ənd vaɪnz ðə wɜːrk ʌv mɪs ˈbɪli briːz/

Line 3

Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

Line 4

Maud Muriel had consented with solemnity.

Line 5

"It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

/ɪt ɪz streɪndʒ ðæt sʌtʃ ə mæn æz ˈhɔːrəs tʃeɪs ə mæn ʌv sens ənd ˌɪmˈpɔːrtəns ʃʊd biː ˈteɪkən wɪð ə tʃaɪld laɪk ruːθ ˈfræŋklɪn ʃiː kənˈfaɪdɪd tuː mɪs ˈbɪli/

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.

bridesmaids noun US /ˈbraɪdzmeɪdz/

plural of “bridesmaid” — an unmarried woman who attends the bride at a wedding

From this reading “Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.”

confided verb US /kənˈfaɪdɪd/

past form of “confide” — reveal in private; tell confidentially

From this reading “"It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.”

consented verb US /kənˈsentɪd/

past form of “consent” — give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to

From this reading “Maud Muriel had consented with solemnity.”

decorations noun US /ˌdekərˈeɪʃənz/

plural of “decoration” — something used to beautify

From this reading “Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.”

Franklin noun US /ˈfræŋklɪn/

United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)

From this reading “"It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.”

solemnity noun US /səˈlemnəti/

a trait of dignified seriousness

From this reading “Maud Muriel had consented with solemnity.”

Trinity noun US /ˈtrɪnəti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading “Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.”

vines noun US /vaɪnz/

plural of “vine” — a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface

From this reading “Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.”

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.

much excited adverb + adjective

In this reading “Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.”

in the parlor preposition + article + noun counted as “in … parlor”

In this reading “Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

BillynounUS /ˈbɪli/

a short stout club used primarily by policemen

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

BreezenounUS /briːz/

a slight wind (usually refreshing)

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

bridesmaidsnounUS /ˈbraɪdzmeɪdz/

plural of “bridesmaid” — an unmarried woman who attends the bride at a wedding

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

ChaseverbUS /tʃeɪs/

go after with the intent to catch

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

ChurchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

confidedverbUS /kənˈfaɪdɪd/

past form of “confide” — reveal in private; tell confidentially

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

consentedverbUS /kənˈsentɪd/

past form of “consent” — give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to

From this reading Maud Muriel had consented with solemnity.

decorationsnounUS /ˌdekərˈeɪʃənz/

plural of “decoration” — something used to beautify

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtəd/

(of persons) excessively affected by emotion

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

flowersnounUS /ˈflaʊərz/

plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

FranklinnounUS /ˈfræŋklɪn/

United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Maud Muriel had consented with solemnity.

HoracenounUS /ˈhɔːrəs/

Roman lyric poet said to have influenced English poetry (65-8 BC)

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

importancenounUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtəns/

the quality of being important and worthy of note

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

L'Hommedieu

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

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

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 Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

Maud

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

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

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

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

Muriel

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

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading The wedding was over.

parlornounUS /ˈpɑːrlər/

reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

PrettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

RuthnounUS /ruːθ/

United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

solemnitynounUS /səˈlemnəti/

a trait of dignified seriousness

From this reading Maud Muriel had consented with solemnity.

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The wedding was over.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "It is strange that such a man as Horace Chase, a man of sense and importance, should be taken with a child like Ruth Franklin," she confided to Miss Billy.

TrinitynounUS /ˈtrɪnəti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

vinesnounUS /vaɪnz/

plural of “vine” — a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The wedding was over.

weddingnounUS /ˈwedɪŋ/

the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed

From this reading The wedding was over.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Miss Billy, much excited, was now standing beside Ruth in the parlor at L'Hommedieu; for Miss Billy and Maud Muriel were the bridesmaids.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading Pretty little Trinity Church was left alone with its decorations of flowers and vines, the work of Miss Billy Breeze.

Chapter 7 of Horace Chase by Constance Fenimore Woolson holds 47 sentences, grouped into 10 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 7 of Horace Chase contain?

Chapter 7 holds 47 sentences of Horace Chase, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of Horace Chase by Constance Fenimore Woolson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 47 sentences, grouped into 10 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 7 of Horace Chase?

Work through the 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 10 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #39067, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 552 minutes of reading across 1327 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Horace Chase

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

Mountain: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Horace Chase; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Village: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Horace Chase; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Carolina: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Horace Chase; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter VII

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