Chapter 26 of Miss Billy is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of Miss Billy is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage. She was vexed; she was very sure of that. To marry Bertram? Absurd!... Then she reflected that, after all, it was only Bertram, so she calmed herself.
Chapter 26 of Miss Billy is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/13 · 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.
inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense
From this reading “Absurd!...”
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading ““I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.”
pleasantly occupied
From this reading ““I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.”
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading ““I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.”
past form of “calm” — make calm or still
From this reading “Then she reflected that, after all, it was only Bertram, so she calmed herself.”
something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)
From this reading ““I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.”
(especially of incident sound or light) bent or sent back
From this reading “Then she reflected that, after all, it was only Bertram, so she calmed herself.”
troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
From this reading “She was vexed; she was very sure of that.”
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.
inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense
From this reading Absurd!...
later than; following
From this reading Then she reflected that, after all, it was only Bertram, so she calmed herself.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Then she reflected that, after all, it was only Bertram, so she calmed herself.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
pleasantly occupied
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To marry Bertram?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
past form of “calm” — make calm or still
From this reading Then she reflected that, after all, it was only Bertram, so she calmed herself.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
the act of departing
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Then she reflected that, after all, it was only Bertram, so she calmed herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then she reflected that, after all, it was only Bertram, so she calmed herself.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
take in marriage
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
and nothing more
From this reading Then she reflected that, after all, it was only Bertram, so she calmed herself.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
(especially of incident sound or light) bent or sent back
From this reading Then she reflected that, after all, it was only Bertram, so she calmed herself.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was vexed; she was very sure of that.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Then she reflected that, after all, it was only Bertram, so she calmed herself.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading She was vexed; she was very sure of that.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She was vexed; she was very sure of that.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then she reflected that, after all, it was only Bertram, so she calmed herself.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
precisely as stated
From this reading She was vexed; she was very sure of that.
troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
From this reading She was vexed; she was very sure of that.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was vexed; she was very sure of that.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading “I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY” Billy did not know whether to be more amazed or amused at Bertram's proposal of marriage.
Chapter 26 of Miss Billy by Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter holds 65 sentences, grouped into 13 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 26 holds 65 sentences of Miss Billy, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of Miss Billy by Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 65 sentences, grouped into 13 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 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 13 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 26 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 Miss Billy by Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4086 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3266 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3266, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 340 minutes of reading across 818 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Miss Billy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of Miss Billy 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 Miss Billy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
