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In Vain
In Vain

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of In Vain is here in full — 78 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for In Vain
Context Illustration Reading 1/15 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A couple of weeks passed.
The relations of the personages known to us had not undergone change.
Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.
"How does the countess's cousin seem to thee?" asked Yosef of him one day.
"Oh, my friend, he is a zero."
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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.

In Vain

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of In Vain is here in full — 78 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A couple of weeks passed.
/ə ˈkʌpəl ʌv wiːks pæst/
Line 2
The relations of the personages known to us had not undergone change.
Line 3
Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.
Line 4
"How does the countess's cousin seem to thee?" asked Yosef of him one day.
Line 5
"Oh, my friend, he is a zero."
/oʊ maɪ frend hiː ɪz ə ˈzɪroʊ/

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.

couple noun US /ˈkʌpəl/

a pair who associate with one another

From this reading “A couple of weeks passed.”

daily adverb US /ˈdeɪli/

every day; without missing a day

From this reading “Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.”

endure verb US /enˈdjʊr/

put up with something or somebody unpleasant

From this reading “Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.”

guest noun US /ɡest/

a visitor to whom hospitality is extended

From this reading “Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.”

relations noun US /riˈleɪʃənz/

mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups

From this reading “The relations of the personages known to us had not undergone change.”

tormented adjective US /ˈtɔːrmentɪd/

experiencing intense pain especially mental pain

From this reading “Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.”

undergone verb US /ˌʌndərˈɡɔːn/

inflected form of “undergo” — pass through

From this reading “The relations of the personages known to us had not undergone change.”

zero adjective US /ˈzɪroʊ/

indicating the absence of any or all units under consideration

From this reading “"Oh, my friend, he is a zero."”

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.

in spite preposition + noun

In this reading “Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.”

make up verb + adjective

form or compose

In this reading “Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 A couple of weeks passed.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

askedverbUS /æskt/

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

From this reading "How does the countess's cousin seem to thee?" asked Yosef of him one day.

Augustinovich

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

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading The relations of the personages known to us had not undergone change.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

countverbUS /kaʊnt/

determine the number or amount of

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

countess's

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

From this reading "How does the countess's cousin seem to thee?" asked Yosef of him one day.

couplenounUS /ˈkʌpəl/

a pair who associate with one another

From this reading A couple of weeks passed.

cousinnounUS /ˈkʌzən/

the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading "How does the countess's cousin seem to thee?" asked Yosef of him one day.

dailyadverbUS /ˈdeɪli/

every day; without missing a day

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading "How does the countess's cousin seem to thee?" asked Yosef of him one day.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading "How does the countess's cousin seem to thee?" asked Yosef of him one day.

endureverbUS /enˈdjʊr/

put up with something or somebody unpleasant

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading "Oh, my friend, he is a zero."

guestnounUS /ɡest/

a visitor to whom hospitality is extended

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The relations of the personages known to us had not undergone change.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Oh, my friend, he is a zero."

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

How

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

From this reading "How does the countess's cousin seem to thee?" asked Yosef of him one day.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Oh, my friend, he is a zero."

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading The relations of the personages known to us had not undergone change.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Oh, my friend, he is a zero."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The relations of the personages known to us had not undergone change.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A couple of weeks passed.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading "Oh, my friend, he is a zero."

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "How does the countess's cousin seem to thee?" asked Yosef of him one day.

Pani

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

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading A couple of weeks passed.

Pelski

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

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

personages

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

From this reading The relations of the personages known to us had not undergone change.

relationsnounUS /riˈleɪʃənz/

mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups

From this reading The relations of the personages known to us had not undergone change.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading "How does the countess's cousin seem to thee?" asked Yosef of him one day.

spitenounUS /spaɪt/

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The relations of the personages known to us had not undergone change.

theepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading "How does the countess's cousin seem to thee?" asked Yosef of him one day.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The relations of the personages known to us had not undergone change.

tormentedadjectiveUS /ˈtɔːrmentɪd/

experiencing intense pain especially mental pain

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

undergoneverbUS /ˌʌndərˈɡɔːn/

inflected form of “undergo” — pass through

From this reading The relations of the personages known to us had not undergone change.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The relations of the personages known to us had not undergone change.

Visberg's

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

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

weeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading A couple of weeks passed.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

Yosef

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

From this reading Yosef did not visit Pani Visberg's, but, to make up, Pelski was a daily guest there in spite of Augustinovich, who tormented him, and whom the count could not endure.

zeroadjectiveUS /ˈzɪroʊ/

indicating the absence of any or all units under consideration

From this reading "Oh, my friend, he is a zero."

Chapter 16 of In Vain by Henryk Sienkiewicz holds 78 sentences, grouped into 16 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 16 of In Vain contain?

Chapter 16 holds 78 sentences of In Vain, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of In Vain by Henryk Sienkiewicz exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 78 sentences, grouped into 16 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 16 of In Vain?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 In Vain

Common questions about reading In Vain by Henryk Sienkiewicz on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of In Vain?

Yes. All 3217 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46454 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of In Vain is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #46454, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does In Vain take to read?

About 268 minutes of reading across 644 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read In Vain section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of In Vain 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 In Vain

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

Surrounded
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In Vain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Italic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In Vain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Original
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In Vain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Different
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In Vain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.