Chapter 26 of Olivia is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of Olivia is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FOR ANOTHER’S SAKE. “Murder!” It is an awful word. No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests. Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
Chapter 26 of Olivia is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
congenital absence of an arm or leg
From this reading “Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.”
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading “It is an awful word.”
granted exemption
From this reading “Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.”
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading “Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.”
plural of “guest” — a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading “No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.”
an attack of hysteria
From this reading “Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.”
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading ““Murder!””
shake, as from cold
From this reading “No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.”
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 this reading “No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.”
In this reading “Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.”
apply thoroughly; think through
In this reading “No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.”
as might be expected
In this reading “Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.”
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 No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.
congenital absence of an arm or leg
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It is an awful word.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FOR ANOTHER’S SAKE.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading It is an awful word.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.
divisible by two
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
granted exemption
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading FOR ANOTHER’S SAKE.
in a joyous manner
From this reading No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.
plural of “guest” — a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.
an attack of hysteria
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is an awful word.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is an awful word.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading “Murder!”
not any; not one
From this reading No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading FOR ANOTHER’S SAKE.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
shake, as from cold
From this reading No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Even Aunt Amelia may be excused for falling into hysterics, which, of course, she did instantly.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading No wonder that a shudder ran through the gayly dressed guests.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading It is an awful word.
Chapter 26 of Olivia by Charles Garvice holds 202 sentences, grouped into 41 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 26 holds 202 sentences of Olivia, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of Olivia by Charles Garvice exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 202 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 Olivia by Charles Garvice on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8972 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #70446 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #70446, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1795 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Olivia section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of Olivia 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 Olivia, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
