Chapter 23 of Old Kensington is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of Old Kensington is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TRUST ME. How tired we feel, my heart and I! --E. B. Browning. The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer. Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
Chapter 23 of Old Kensington is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/19 · 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.
United States inventor of firearms (especially automatic pistols and repeating rifles and a machine gun called the Peacemaker) (1855-1926)
From this reading “--E. B. Browning.”
for the most part
From this reading “Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.”
United States anthropologist who studied the Seneca (1818-1881)
From this reading “Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.”
the state of being disregarded or forgotten
From this reading “The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.”
United States golfer (born in 1929)
From this reading “The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.”
thrown into a state of agitated confusion; (“rattled” is an informal term)
From this reading “Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.”
past form of “rejoin” — join again
From this reading “The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.”
pot for brewing tea; usually has a spout and handle
From this reading “The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.”
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.
be successful; achieve a goal
In this reading “Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.”
In this reading “Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading How tired we feel, my heart and I!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil
From this reading --E. B. Browning.
for the reason that
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
United States inventor of firearms (especially automatic pistols and repeating rifles and a machine gun called the Peacemaker) (1855-1926)
From this reading --E. B. Browning.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
for the most part
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body
From this reading --E. B. Browning.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading How tired we feel, my heart and I!
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading How tired we feel, my heart and I!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How tired we feel, my heart and I!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading How tired we feel, my heart and I!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading TRUST ME.
United States anthropologist who studied the Seneca (1818-1881)
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading How tired we feel, my heart and I!
the state of being disregarded or forgotten
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
United States golfer (born in 1929)
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
thrown into a state of agitated confusion; (“rattled” is an informal term)
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
past form of “rejoin” — join again
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
having a supporting base
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
pot for brewing tea; usually has a spout and handle
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
a private conversation between two people
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading How tired we feel, my heart and I!
something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)
From this reading TRUST ME.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading How tired we feel, my heart and I!
at the time that
From this reading The much-talked-of tea was standing, black as the waters of oblivion, in the teapot when they rejoined Mrs. Palmer.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Philippa was sitting tete-a-tete with Raban, and seemed chiefly perturbed at having been kept waiting, and because John Morgan had carried off Rhoda.
Chapter 23 of Old Kensington by Anne Thackeray Ritchie holds 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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 23 holds 97 sentences of Old Kensington, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of Old Kensington by Anne Thackeray Ritchie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 20 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 23 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 Old Kensington by Anne Thackeray Ritchie on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8731 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36235 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #36235, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1747 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Old Kensington section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Old Kensington 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 Old Kensington, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
