Chapter 31 of Nancy: A Novel is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXI
Chapter 31 of Nancy: A Novel is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head. Was Brindley Wood a dream? or is this a dream? Surely one or other must be, and, if this is not a dream, what is it? Is it reality, is it truth? And, if it is, how on earth did any thing so monstrous ever come about?
Chapter 31 of Nancy: A Novel is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/20 · 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.
the overhead upper surface of a covered space
From this reading “My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.”
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading “My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.”
a confused multitude of things
From this reading “My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.”
mix together different elements
From this reading “My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.”
abnormally large
From this reading “And, if it is, how on earth did any thing so monstrous ever come about?”
plural of “moulding” — a decorative strip used for ornamentation or finishing
From this reading “My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.”
a confused multitude of things
From this reading “My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.”
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading “Is it reality, is it truth?”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading And, if it is, how on earth did any thing so monstrous ever come about?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading And, if it is, how on earth did any thing so monstrous ever come about?
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Surely one or other must be, and, if this is not a dream, what is it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Was Brindley Wood a dream? or is this a dream?
the overhead upper surface of a covered space
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And, if it is, how on earth did any thing so monstrous ever come about?
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading And, if it is, how on earth did any thing so monstrous ever come about?
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading Was Brindley Wood a dream? or is this a dream?
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading And, if it is, how on earth did any thing so monstrous ever come about?
at any time
From this reading And, if it is, how on earth did any thing so monstrous ever come about?
opinion or judgment
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And, if it is, how on earth did any thing so monstrous ever come about?
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Surely one or other must be, and, if this is not a dream, what is it?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Was Brindley Wood a dream? or is this a dream?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Surely one or other must be, and, if this is not a dream, what is it?
a confused multitude of things
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
mix together different elements
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
abnormally large
From this reading And, if it is, how on earth did any thing so monstrous ever come about?
plural of “moulding” — a decorative strip used for ornamentation or finishing
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
a confused multitude of things
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Surely one or other must be, and, if this is not a dream, what is it?
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Surely one or other must be, and, if this is not a dream, what is it?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Surely one or other must be, and, if this is not a dream, what is it?
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Was Brindley Wood a dream? or is this a dream?
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Surely one or other must be, and, if this is not a dream, what is it?
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading Is it reality, is it truth?
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And, if it is, how on earth did any thing so monstrous ever come about?
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Surely one or other must be, and, if this is not a dream, what is it?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
a special situation
From this reading And, if it is, how on earth did any thing so monstrous ever come about?
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Was Brindley Wood a dream? or is this a dream?
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading Is it reality, is it truth?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Was Brindley Wood a dream? or is this a dream?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Surely one or other must be, and, if this is not a dream, what is it?
during the time that
From this reading My eyes are fixed on the mouldings of the ceiling, while a jumble of thoughts mix and muddle themselves in my head.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading Was Brindley Wood a dream? or is this a dream?
Chapter 31 of Nancy: A Novel by Rhoda Broughton holds 101 sentences, grouped into 21 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 31 holds 101 sentences of Nancy: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 31 of Nancy: A Novel by Rhoda Broughton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 101 sentences, grouped into 21 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 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 21 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 31 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 Nancy: A Novel by Rhoda Broughton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7184 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12304 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12304, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 598 minutes of reading across 1437 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Nancy: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Nancy: A Novel 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 Nancy: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
