Chapter 8 of Larkspur is here in full — 387 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Larkspur is here in full — 387 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Did she--did she--ever tell you--about me?" Renée hesitated. She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply. But before she could speak Mrs. Forrester answered herself. "Of course she would not!
Chapter 8 of Larkspur is here in full — 387 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “But before she could speak Mrs. Forrester answered herself.”
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading “"Of course she would not!”
to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading “She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.”
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading “But before she could speak Mrs. Forrester answered herself.”
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “Renée hesitated.”
be the source of pain
From this reading “She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.”
a polite name for any woman
From this reading “She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.”
express in speech
From this reading “But before she could speak Mrs. Forrester answered herself.”
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.
your own wife
In this reading “She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.”
as might be expected
In this reading “"Of course she would not!”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "Did she--did she--ever tell you--about me?"
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading But before she could speak Mrs. Forrester answered herself.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading But before she could speak Mrs. Forrester answered herself.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But before she could speak Mrs. Forrester answered herself.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But before she could speak Mrs. Forrester answered herself.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "Of course she would not!
to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Did she--did she--ever tell you--about me?"
at any time
From this reading "Did she--did she--ever tell you--about me?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But before she could speak Mrs. Forrester answered herself.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading But before she could speak Mrs. Forrester answered herself.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading Renée hesitated.
be the source of pain
From this reading She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.
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 She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Did she--did she--ever tell you--about me?"
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading But before she could speak Mrs. Forrester answered herself.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Of course she would not!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Of course she would not!
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Renée hesitated.
express in words
From this reading She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Did she--did she--ever tell you--about me?"
express in speech
From this reading But before she could speak Mrs. Forrester answered herself.
express in words
From this reading "Did she--did she--ever tell you--about me?"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She knew that what she must say would hurt the old lady deeply.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Did she--did she--ever tell you--about me?"
Chapter 8 of Larkspur by Jane Abbott holds 387 sentences, grouped into 78 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.
Chapter 8 holds 387 sentences of Larkspur, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Larkspur by Jane Abbott exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 387 sentences, grouped into 78 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.
Work through the 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 78 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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.
Common questions about reading Larkspur by Jane Abbott on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3195 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49098 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #49098, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 266 minutes of reading across 639 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Larkspur section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of Larkspur to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Larkspur, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
