Chapter 23 of Ombra is here in full — 278 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of Ombra is here in full — 278 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca. ‘The young ladies are fast asleep still. And it was a grand success, _a che lo dite_. Did not I say so from the beginning? To be sure it was a grand success.
Chapter 23 of Ombra is here in full — 278 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/55 · 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.
in a state of sleep
From this reading “‘The young ladies are fast asleep still.”
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading “Did not I say so from the beginning?”
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading “‘The young ladies are fast asleep still.”
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading “And it was a grand success, _a che lo dite_.”
plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading “‘The young ladies are fast asleep still.”
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading “‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca.”
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading “And it was a grand success, _a che lo dite_.”
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading “To be sure it was a grand success.”
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.
sleeping deeply
In this reading “‘The young ladies are fast asleep still.”
a young female
In this reading “‘The young ladies are fast asleep still.”
In this reading “And it was a grand success, _a che lo dite_.”
rise to one's feet
In this reading “‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca.”
In this reading “Did not I say so from the beginning?”
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 And it was a grand success, _a che lo dite_.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And it was a grand success, _a che lo dite_.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading ‘The young ladies are fast asleep still.
in a state of sleep
From this reading ‘The young ladies are fast asleep still.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To be sure it was a grand success.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading Did not I say so from the beginning?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And it was a grand success, _a che lo dite_.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Did not I say so from the beginning?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And it was a grand success, _a che lo dite_.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading ‘The young ladies are fast asleep still.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Did not I say so from the beginning?
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading ‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca.
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading And it was a grand success, _a che lo dite_.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Did not I say so from the beginning?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And it was a grand success, _a che lo dite_.
plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading ‘The young ladies are fast asleep still.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And it was a grand success, _a che lo dite_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading ‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Did not I say so from the beginning?
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading ‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading ‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca.
express in words
From this reading Did not I say so from the beginning?
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading ‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca.
an Italian title of address equivalent to Mrs. when used before a name
From this reading ‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Did not I say so from the beginning?
not in physical motion
From this reading ‘The young ladies are fast asleep still.
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading And it was a grand success, _a che lo dite_.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading To be sure it was a grand success.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ‘The young ladies are fast asleep still.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading ‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To be sure it was a grand success.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading ‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And it was a grand success, _a che lo dite_.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading ‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ‘Why should you get up this morning, Signora _mia_?’ said old Francesca.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading ‘The young ladies are fast asleep still.
Chapter 23 of Ombra by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant holds 278 sentences, grouped into 56 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 278 sentences of Ombra, unabridged, divided into 56 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of Ombra by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 278 sentences, grouped into 56 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 56 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 56 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 Ombra by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8995 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53583 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53583, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1799 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ombra section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Ombra 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 Ombra, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
