Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex
Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex is here in full — 144 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A DOWNY COVE.
IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.
He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.
And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.
That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex is here in full — 144 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A DOWNY COVE.
/ə ˈdaʊni koʊv/
Line 2
IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.
/ɪt kʊd ˈhɑːrdli biː ɪkˈspektəd ðæt maɪ ˈʌŋkəl ˈkɔːrni ʃʊd ɡroʊ ˈveri ˈmɪzərəbəl əˈbaʊt ðɪs ˈmætər/
Line 3
He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.
Line 4
And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.
Line 5
That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

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.

chivalry noun US /ˈʃɪvəlri/

courtesy towards women

From this reading “That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.”

Corny adjective US /ˈkɔːrni/

dull and tiresome but with pretensions of significance or originality

From this reading “IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.”

downy adjective US /ˈdaʊni/

like down or as soft as down

From this reading “A DOWNY COVE.”

nucleus noun US /ˈnuːkliəs/

a part of the cell containing DNA and RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction

From this reading “And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.”

penetrates verb US /ˈpenətreɪts/

third-person singular of “penetrate” — pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance

From this reading “He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.”

saturated adjective US /ˈsætʃəreɪtɪd/

being the most concentrated solution possible at a given temperature; unable to dissolve still more of a substance

From this reading “He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.”

tub noun US /tʌb/

a relatively large open container that you fill with water and use to wash the body

From this reading “He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.”

tumble verb US /ˈtʌmbəl/

fall down, as if collapsing

From this reading “He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.”

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.

tumble into verb + particle

In this reading “He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.”

young people adjective + noun

In this reading “He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.”

tumble out verb + adjective

In this reading “He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.”

come across verb + particle

find unexpectedly

In this reading “And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.”

of chivalry preposition + noun

In this reading “That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.”

at the corners preposition + article + noun counted as “at … corner”

In this reading “That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.”

touch of verb + particle

In this reading “That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.”

grow very verb + adjective

In this reading “IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.”

All words in this reading · 110

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 DOWNY COVE.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

castverbUS /kæst/

put or send forth

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

chieflyadverbUS /ˈtʃiːfli/

for the most part

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

chivalrynounUS /ˈʃɪvəlri/

courtesy towards women

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

clothesnounUS /kloʊðz/

clothing in general

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

cornersnounUS /ˈkɔːrnərz/

plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

CornyadjectiveUS /ˈkɔːrni/

dull and tiresome but with pretensions of significance or originality

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

couplenounUS /ˈkʌpəl/

a pair who associate with one another

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

COVEnounUS /koʊv/

a small inlet

From this reading A DOWNY COVE.

Covent

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

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

crownedadjectiveUS /kraʊnd/

having an (artificial) crown on a tooth

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

crushedadjectiveUS /krʌʃt/

treated so as to have a permanently wrinkled appearance

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

demandnounUS /dɪˈmænd/

an urgent or peremptory request

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

distinctionnounUS /dɪˈstɪŋkʃən/

a discrimination between things as different and distinct on the basis of their characteristics or attributes

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

DOWNYadjectiveUS /ˈdaʊni/

like down or as soft as down

From this reading A DOWNY COVE.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

expectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

GardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

gildedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪldɪd/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

grandadjectiveUS /ɡrænd/

of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

growverbUS /ɡroʊ/

pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

haplyadverb

by accident

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

hatnounUS /hæt/

headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

ironnounUS /ˈaɪərn/

a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

ITpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

justicenounUS /ˈdʒʌstəs/

the quality of being just or fair

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

KittynounUS /ˈkɪti/

the combined stakes of the betters

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

lungsnounUS /lʌŋz/

plural of “lung” — either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

mainadjectiveUS /meɪn/

most important element

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

miserableadjectiveUS /ˈmɪzərəbəl/

very unhappy; full of misery

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

movedadjectiveUS /muːvd/

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

nosenounUS /noʊz/

the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

nucleusnounUS /ˈnuːkliəs/

a part of the cell containing DNA and RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

ordinarynounUS /ˈɔːrdəneri/

a judge of a probate court

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

penetratesverbUS /ˈpenətreɪts/

third-person singular of “penetrate” — pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

putsnounUS /pʊts/

plural of “put” — the option to sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

reasonableadjectiveUS /ˈriːzənəbəl/

showing reason or sound judgment

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

ribbonnounUS /ˈrɪbən/

any long object resembling a thin line

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

runningadjectiveUS /ˈrʌnɪŋ/

(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

saturatedadjectiveUS /ˈsætʃəreɪtɪd/

being the most concentrated solution possible at a given temperature; unable to dissolve still more of a substance

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

skinnounUS /skɪn/

a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

tellingadjectiveUS /ˈtelɪŋ/

disclosing unintentionally something concealed

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

touchverbUS /tʌtʃ/

make physical contact with, come in contact with

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

tubnounUS /tʌb/

a relatively large open container that you fill with water and use to wash the body

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

tumbleverbUS /ˈtʌmbəl/

fall down, as if collapsing

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

UnclenounUS /ˈʌŋkəl/

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading IT could hardly be expected that my Uncle Corny should grow very miserable about this matter.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

Wilcox

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

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading That which chiefly moved him, as he told me in the end, and as I might have known without his telling, was the iron sense of justice, gilded haply at the corners, and crowned with a little touch of chivalry.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading And it would not have been reasonable to demand of him, that he should believe in any grand distinction between the case of Kitty and myself, and that of any other couple he might come across, in a life whose main nucleus was Covent Garden.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

From this reading He knew that young people of the ordinary cast tumble into love and tumble out again, with perhaps a little running of the eyes and nose, and a hat crushed on the head, or a ribbon saturated; but nothing that penetrates the skin, far less puts a “tub of clothes,” as Mrs. Wilcox said, into the lungs.

Chapter 16 of Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex by R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore holds 144 sentences, grouped into 29 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 Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex contain?

Chapter 16 holds 144 sentences of Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex by R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 144 sentences, grouped into 29 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 Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex

Common questions about reading Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex by R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex?

Yes. All 9623 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49520 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #49520, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1925 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex section by section

How to work through Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex 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 Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex

Words and structures a reader meets early in Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lorna
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Doone
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Springhaven
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Kit and Kitty: A Story of West Middlesex; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.