used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
abnegationnounUS /ˌæbneˈɡeɪʃən/
the denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
absorbingadjectiveUS /əbˈzɔːrbɪŋ/
capable of arousing and holding the attention
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
agriculturaladjectiveUS /ˌæɡrəˈkʌltʃərəl/
relating to or used in or promoting agriculture or farming
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
anticipatedadjectiveUS /ænˈtɪsəpeɪtɪd/
expected hopefully
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading But, nevertheless, the reality was not below our dreams.
betrothedadjective
pledged to be married
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
demandingadjectiveUS /dɪˈmændɪŋ/
requiring more than usually expected or thought due; especially great patience and effort and skill
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
egotisticaladjectiveUS /ˌiːɡəˈtɪstɪkəl/
characteristic of those having an inflated idea of their own importance
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
emotionsnounUS /ɪˈmoʊʃənz/
plural of “emotion” — any strong feeling
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
constituting the full quantity or extent; complete
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
the state or fact of existing
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
make full, also in a metaphorical sense
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
imperceptiblyadverbUS /ˌɪmpərˈseptɪbli/
in an imperceptible manner or to an imperceptible degree
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
industrynounUS /ˈɪndəstri/
the people or companies engaged in a particular kind of commercial enterprise
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
jointnounUS /dʒɔɪnt/
(anatomy) the point of connection between two bones or elements of a skeleton (especially if it allows motion)
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
joysnounUS /dʒɔɪz/
plural of “joy” — the emotion of great happiness
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
modenounUS /moʊd/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
in spite of what has just been said
From this reading But, nevertheless, the reality was not below our dreams.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
oblivionnounUS /əˈblɪviən/
the state of being disregarded or forgotten
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
occupyverbUS /ˈɑːkjəpaɪ/
keep busy with
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
organizingverbUS /ˈɔːrɡənaɪzɪŋ/
-ing form of “organize” — create (as an entity)
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
overlookedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊvərlʊkt/
not taken into account
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
picturedadjectiveUS /ˈpɪktʃərd/
seen in the mind as a mental image
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading But, nevertheless, the reality was not below our dreams.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
retireverbUS /rɪˈtaɪr/
go into retirement; stop performing one's work or withdraw from one's position
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
sacrificesnounUS /ˈsækrəfaɪsɪz/
plural of “sacrifice” — the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
sensationsnounUS /senˈseɪʃənz/
plural of “sensation” — an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
tender, romantic, or nostalgic feeling or emotion
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
strictadjectiveUS /strɪkt/
rigidly accurate; allowing no deviation from a standard
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
sufficedverbUS /səˈfaɪst/
past form of “suffice” — be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
separate or cause to separate abruptly
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But, nevertheless, the reality was not below our dreams.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading My dreams, and his, concerning the mode of organizing our joint existence were not realized exactly as we had anticipated.
at the time that
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He would, it is true, sometimes retire to his study and occupy himself with something demanding attention; sometimes he went to the city on business, or overlooked his agricultural matters; but I could see how hard it was for him to tear himself away from me.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading This was not the life of strict industry, full of duties, abnegation, and sacrifices, which I had pictured to myself when I became his betrothed; on the contrary, it was the absorbing and egotistical sentiment of love, joys without reason and without end, oblivion of everything in the world.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The days, the weeks, two entire months of lonely country life slipped away, imperceptibly, it appeared to us; but the sensations, the emotions, and the happiness of these two months would have sufficed to fill a whole life.
