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In Vain
In Vain

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of In Vain is here in full — 118 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.
Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.
Augustinovich lost his humor and the freedom of thought usual to him.
Whether he would or not, he felt respect for Lula, and he felt respect for woman.
Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

In Vain

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of In Vain is here in full — 118 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.
Line 2
Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.
Line 3
Augustinovich lost his humor and the freedom of thought usual to him.
Line 4
Whether he would or not, he felt respect for Lula, and he felt respect for woman.
Line 5
Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

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.

agreement noun US /əˈɡriːmənt/

the statement (oral or written) of an exchange of promises

From this reading “Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.”

aristocracy noun US /ˌerəˈstɑːkrəsi/

a privileged class holding hereditary titles

From this reading “Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.”

deceived verb US /dɪˈsiːvd/

past form of “deceive” — be false to; be dishonest with

From this reading “Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.”

expectations noun US /ˌekspekˈteɪʃənz/

plural of “expectation” — belief about (or mental picture of) the future

From this reading “Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.”

harmony noun US /ˈhɑːrməni/

compatibility in opinion and action

From this reading “Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.”

humor noun US /ˈhjuːmər/

a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter

From this reading “Augustinovich lost his humor and the freedom of thought usual to him.”

shocked adjective US /ʃɑːkt/

struck with fear, dread, or consternation

From this reading “Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.”

sickness noun US /ˈsɪknəs/

impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism

From this reading “Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.”

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 “Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.”

come into verb + particle

obtain, especially accidentally

In this reading “Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.”

young doctor adjective + noun

In this reading “Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.”

make up verb + adjective

form or compose

In this reading “Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

agreementnounUS /əˈɡriːmənt/

the statement (oral or written) of an exchange of promises

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Augustinovich lost his humor and the freedom of thought usual to him.

aristocracynounUS /ˌerəˈstɑːkrəsi/

a privileged class holding hereditary titles

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

Augustinovich

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

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

deceivedverbUS /dɪˈsiːvd/

past form of “deceive” — be false to; be dishonest with

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

degreenounUS /dɪˈɡriː/

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

doctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

Ei

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

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

expectationsnounUS /ˌekspekˈteɪʃənz/

plural of “expectation” — belief about (or mental picture of) the future

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

fearedverbUS /fɪrd/

past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading Whether he would or not, he felt respect for Lula, and he felt respect for woman.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Whether he would or not, he felt respect for Lula, and he felt respect for woman.

freedomnounUS /ˈfriːdəm/

the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints

From this reading Augustinovich lost his humor and the freedom of thought usual to him.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

harmonynounUS /ˈhɑːrməni/

compatibility in opinion and action

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Whether he would or not, he felt respect for Lula, and he felt respect for woman.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Augustinovich lost his humor and the freedom of thought usual to him.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

humornounUS /ˈhjuːmər/

a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter

From this reading Augustinovich lost his humor and the freedom of thought usual to him.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading Augustinovich lost his humor and the freedom of thought usual to him.

lovedadjectiveUS /lʌvd/

held dear

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

Lula

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

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

moraladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrəl/

concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Whether he would or not, he felt respect for Lula, and he felt respect for woman.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Whether he would or not, he felt respect for Lula, and he felt respect for woman.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

Pani

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

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

Pelski

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

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

respectnounUS /rɪˈspekt/

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading Whether he would or not, he felt respect for Lula, and he felt respect for woman.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

shockedadjectiveUS /ʃɑːkt/

struck with fear, dread, or consternation

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

sicknessnounUS /ˈsɪknəs/

impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

spitenounUS /spaɪt/

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

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

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading Augustinovich lost his humor and the freedom of thought usual to him.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading Augustinovich lost his humor and the freedom of thought usual to him.

Visberg's

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

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

WhetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading Whether he would or not, he felt respect for Lula, and he felt respect for woman.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Ei! that was something so strange in him, so out of harmony with his moral make up, that he could not come into agreement with himself.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Whether he would or not, he felt respect for Lula, and he felt respect for woman.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Whether he would or not, he felt respect for Lula, and he felt respect for woman.

Yosef

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

From this reading We have said that Augustinovich feared to tell Yosef what had happened at Pani Visberg's.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Lula had deceived his expectations; in spite of aristocracy, in spite of Pelski, she loved the young doctor, since news of his sickness had shocked her to such a degree.

Chapter 20 of In Vain by Henryk Sienkiewicz holds 118 sentences, grouped into 24 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 20 of In Vain contain?

Chapter 20 holds 118 sentences of In Vain, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of In Vain by Henryk Sienkiewicz exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 118 sentences, grouped into 24 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 20 of In Vain?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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

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  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.