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Miss Marjoribanks
Miss Marjoribanks

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Miss Marjoribanks is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Miss Marjoribanks
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.
Barbara, like himself, had changed.
She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."
Barbara _had_ gone off, like himself, and, like himself, did not mean to acknowledge it.
She had expanded all over, as was natural to a contralto.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Miss Marjoribanks

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Miss Marjoribanks is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.
Line 2
Barbara, like himself, had changed.
Line 3
She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."
Line 4
Barbara _had_ gone off, like himself, and, like himself, did not mean to acknowledge it.
Line 5
She had expanded all over, as was natural to a contralto.

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.

acknowledge verb US /ækˈnɑːlɪdʒ/

declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading “Barbara _had_ gone off, like himself, and, like himself, did not mean to acknowledge it.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bewildering verb US /bɪˈwɪldərɪŋ/

-ing form of “bewilder” — be a mystery or bewildering to

From this reading “Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
differences noun US /ˈdɪfərənsɪz/

plural of “difference” — the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading “Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
expanded adjective US /ɪkˈspændəd/

increased in extent or size or bulk or scope

From this reading “She had expanded all over, as was natural to a contralto.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
insult noun US /ˌɪnˈsʌlt/

a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

From this reading “She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mischievous adjective US /ˈmɪstʃəvəs/

naughtily or annoyingly playful

From this reading “She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resemblances noun US /riˈzemblənsəz/

plural of “resemblance” — similarity in appearance or external or superficial details

From this reading “Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sofa noun US /ˈsoʊfə/

an upholstered seat for more than one person

From this reading “Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

in the corner preposition + article + noun counted as “in … corner”

In this reading “Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.”

24,646 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 58

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 She had expanded all over, as was natural to a contralto.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
acknowledgeverbUS /ækˈnɑːlɪdʒ/

declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading Barbara _had_ gone off, like himself, and, like himself, did not mean to acknowledge it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 She had expanded all over, as was natural to a contralto.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
arrangedadjectiveUS /ərˈeɪndʒd/

disposed or placed in a particular kind of order

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Barbara

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

From this reading Barbara, like himself, had changed.

Pending verification
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bewilderingverbUS /bɪˈwɪldərɪŋ/

-ing form of “bewilder” — be a mystery or bewildering to

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
candournoun

the quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Cavendish's

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

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

Pending verification
changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading Barbara, like himself, had changed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
contraltonoun

a woman singer having a contralto voice

From this reading She had expanded all over, as was natural to a contralto.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
differencesnounUS /ˈdɪfərənsɪz/

plural of “difference” — the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
expandedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspændəd/

increased in extent or size or bulk or scope

From this reading She had expanded all over, as was natural to a contralto.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading Barbara _had_ gone off, like himself, and, like himself, did not mean to acknowledge it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
graduallyadverbUS /ˈɡrædʒuːəli/

in a gradual manner

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Barbara, like himself, had changed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hairclothnoun

cloth woven from horsehair or camelhair; used for upholstery or stiffening in garments

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

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

From this reading Barbara, like himself, had changed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ideasnounUS /aɪˈdiːəz/

plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
insultnounUS /ˌɪnˈsʌlt/

a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Barbara _had_ gone off, like himself, and, like himself, did not mean to acknowledge it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Barbara, like himself, had changed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
looksnounUS /lʊks/

plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Lucilla

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

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

Pending verification
meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading Barbara _had_ gone off, like himself, and, like himself, did not mean to acknowledge it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mischievousadjectiveUS /ˈmɪstʃəvəs/

naughtily or annoyingly playful

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
naturaladjectiveUS /ˈnætʃərəl/

in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature

From this reading She had expanded all over, as was natural to a contralto.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading She had expanded all over, as was natural to a contralto.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resemblancesnounUS /riˈzemblənsəz/

plural of “resemblance” — similarity in appearance or external or superficial details

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She did not insult him, as Lucilla had done, by fresh looks and mischievous candour about "going off."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sofanounUS /ˈsoʊfə/

an upholstered seat for more than one person

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading She had expanded all over, as was natural to a contralto.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Mr Cavendish's ideas, however, gradually arranged themselves as he sat in the corner of the little haircloth sofa, and began to take in the differences as well as the bewildering resemblances of the present and past.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 16 of Miss Marjoribanks by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant holds 407 sentences, grouped into 82 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 Miss Marjoribanks contain?

Chapter 16 holds 407 sentences of Miss Marjoribanks, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Miss Marjoribanks by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 407 sentences, grouped into 82 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 Miss Marjoribanks?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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 Miss Marjoribanks

Common questions about reading Miss Marjoribanks by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Miss Marjoribanks?

Yes. All 7098 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41286 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Miss Marjoribanks is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #41286, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Miss Marjoribanks take to read?

About 591 minutes of reading across 1420 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Miss Marjoribanks section by section

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Vocabulary met early in Miss Marjoribanks

Words and structures a reader meets early in Miss Marjoribanks, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Marjoribanks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miss Marjoribanks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mother
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miss Marjoribanks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fifteen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miss Marjoribanks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Misfortune
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miss Marjoribanks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.