Rebecca's Promise

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Rebecca's Promise is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Frances R. (Frances Roberta) Sterrett • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Rebecca's Promise

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

Rebecca Mary poured two cups of coffee for him in a demure little way which Peter found quite enchanting, and his eyes told her so as they followed her to the other side of the table.

But there was nothing sentimental to Joan in the fact that Rebecca Mary had poured Peter two cups of coffee.

She found it only interesting, and her eyes grew big when Peter broke a third egg.

"Gentlemen hold a lot more than ladies, don't they?" she asked with frank interest.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XII Reading 1/43

Rebecca's Promise Frances R. (Frances Roberta) Sterrett

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Rebecca's Promise is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon. Rebecca Mary poured two cups of coffee for him in a demure little way which Peter found quite enchanting, and his eyes told her so as they followed her to the other side of the table. But there was nothing sentimental to Joan in the fact that Rebecca Mary had poured Peter two cups of coffee. She found it only interesting, and her eyes grew big when Peter broke a third egg. "Gentlemen hold a lot more than ladies, don't they?" she asked with frank interest.

Rebecca's Promise

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Rebecca's Promise is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

Line 2

Rebecca Mary poured two cups of coffee for him in a demure little way which Peter found quite enchanting, and his eyes told her so as they followed her to the other side of the table.

/rəˈbekə ˈmeri pɔːrd tuː kʌps ʌv ˈkɑːfi fɔːr hɪm ɪn ə dɪˈmjʊr ˈlɪtəl weɪ wɪtʃ ˈpiːtər faʊnd kwaɪt enˈtʃæntɪŋ ənd hɪz aɪz toʊld hɜːr soʊ æz ðeɪ ˈfɑːloʊd hɜːr tuː ðə ˈʌðər saɪd ʌv ðə ˈteɪbəl/

Line 3

But there was nothing sentimental to Joan in the fact that Rebecca Mary had poured Peter two cups of coffee.

Line 4

She found it only interesting, and her eyes grew big when Peter broke a third egg.

/ʃiː faʊnd ɪt ˈoʊnli ˈɪntrəstɪŋ ənd hɜːr aɪz ɡruː bɪɡ wen ˈpiːtər broʊk ə θɜːrd eɡ/

Line 5

"Gentlemen hold a lot more than ladies, don't they?" she asked with frank interest.

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.

cups noun US /kʌps/

plural of “cup” — a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle

From this reading “Rebecca Mary poured two cups of coffee for him in a demure little way which Peter found quite enchanting, and his eyes told her so as they followed her to the other side of the table.”

demure adjective US /dɪˈmjʊr/

affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way

egg noun US /eɡ/

animal reproductive body consisting of an ovum or embryo together with nutritive and protective envelopes; especially the thin-shelled reproductive body laid by e.g. female birds

From this reading “She found it only interesting, and her eyes grew big when Peter broke a third egg.”

enchanting adjective US /enˈtʃæntɪŋ/

capturing interest as if by a spell

Rebecca noun US /rəˈbekə/

(Old Testament) wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau

From this reading “Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.”

sentimental adjective US /ˌsentəˈmentəl/

given to or marked by sentiment or sentimentality

From this reading “But there was nothing sentimental to Joan in the fact that Rebecca Mary had poured Peter two cups of coffee.”

strawberries noun US /ˈstrɔːberiz/

plural of “strawberry” — sweet fleshy red fruit

From this reading “Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.”

toast verb US /toʊst/

make brown and crisp by heating

From this reading “Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.”

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.

other side adjective + noun

In this reading “Rebecca Mary poured two cups of coffee for him in a demure little way which Peter found quite enchanting, and his eyes told her so as they followed her to the other side of the table.”

little way adjective + noun

All words in this reading · 72

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 Rebecca Mary poured two cups of coffee for him in a demure little way which Peter found quite enchanting, and his eyes told her so as they followed her to the other side of the table.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Gentlemen hold a lot more than ladies, don't they?" she asked with frank interest.

atenounUS /eɪt/

goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

baconnounUS /ˈbeɪkən/

back and sides of a hog salted and dried or smoked; usually sliced thin and fried

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading She found it only interesting, and her eyes grew big when Peter broke a third egg.

brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading She found it only interesting, and her eyes grew big when Peter broke a third egg.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But there was nothing sentimental to Joan in the fact that Rebecca Mary had poured Peter two cups of coffee.

coffeenounUS /ˈkɑːfi/

a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans

cupsnounUS /kʌps/

plural of “cup” — a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle

demureadjectiveUS /dɪˈmjʊr/

affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way

don't

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

From this reading "Gentlemen hold a lot more than ladies, don't they?" she asked with frank interest.

eggnounUS /eɡ/

animal reproductive body consisting of an ovum or embryo together with nutritive and protective envelopes; especially the thin-shelled reproductive body laid by e.g. female birds

From this reading She found it only interesting, and her eyes grew big when Peter broke a third egg.

eggsnounUS /eɡz/

oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

enchantingadjectiveUS /enˈtʃæntɪŋ/

capturing interest as if by a spell

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading But there was nothing sentimental to Joan in the fact that Rebecca Mary had poured Peter two cups of coffee.

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

frankadjectiveUS /fræŋk/

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading "Gentlemen hold a lot more than ladies, don't they?" she asked with frank interest.

GentlemennounUS /ˈdʒentəlmɪn/

plural of “gentleman” — a man of refinement

From this reading "Gentlemen hold a lot more than ladies, don't they?" she asked with frank interest.

grewverbUS /ɡruː/

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading She found it only interesting, and her eyes grew big when Peter broke a third egg.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading But there was nothing sentimental to Joan in the fact that Rebecca Mary had poured Peter two cups of coffee.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

holdverbUS /hoʊld/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading "Gentlemen hold a lot more than ladies, don't they?" she asked with frank interest.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading "Gentlemen hold a lot more than ladies, don't they?" she asked with frank interest.

interestingadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/

arousing or holding the attention

From this reading She found it only interesting, and her eyes grew big when Peter broke a third egg.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading She found it only interesting, and her eyes grew big when Peter broke a third egg.

Joan

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

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

ladiesnounUS /ˈleɪdiz/

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading "Gentlemen hold a lot more than ladies, don't they?" she asked with frank interest.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

lotnounUS /lɑːt/

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

From this reading "Gentlemen hold a lot more than ladies, don't they?" she asked with frank interest.

MarynounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading "Gentlemen hold a lot more than ladies, don't they?" she asked with frank interest.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading But there was nothing sentimental to Joan in the fact that Rebecca Mary had poured Peter two cups of coffee.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading She found it only interesting, and her eyes grew big when Peter broke a third egg.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

PeternounUS /ˈpiːtər/

disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

pouredverbUS /pɔːrd/

past form of “pour” — cause to run

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

RebeccanounUS /rəˈbekə/

(Old Testament) wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

satnounUS /sæt/

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

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

sentimentaladjectiveUS /ˌsentəˈmentəl/

given to or marked by sentiment or sentimentality

From this reading But there was nothing sentimental to Joan in the fact that Rebecca Mary had poured Peter two cups of coffee.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She found it only interesting, and her eyes grew big when Peter broke a third egg.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

strawberriesnounUS /ˈstrɔːberiz/

plural of “strawberry” — sweet fleshy red fruit

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading "Gentlemen hold a lot more than ladies, don't they?" she asked with frank interest.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But there was nothing sentimental to Joan in the fact that Rebecca Mary had poured Peter two cups of coffee.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading But there was nothing sentimental to Joan in the fact that Rebecca Mary had poured Peter two cups of coffee.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

thirdnounUS /θɜːrd/

one of three equal parts of a divisible whole

From this reading She found it only interesting, and her eyes grew big when Peter broke a third egg.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

toastverbUS /toʊst/

make brown and crisp by heating

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading But there was nothing sentimental to Joan in the fact that Rebecca Mary had poured Peter two cups of coffee.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading She found it only interesting, and her eyes grew big when Peter broke a third egg.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Rebecca Mary and Joan sat beside Peter while he ate his strawberries and his eggs and toast and bacon.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Gentlemen hold a lot more than ladies, don't they?" she asked with frank interest.

Chapter 12 of Rebecca's Promise by Frances R. (Frances Roberta) Sterrett holds 217 sentences, grouped into 44 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 12 of Rebecca's Promise contain?

Chapter 12 holds 217 sentences of Rebecca's Promise, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Rebecca's Promise by Frances R. (Frances Roberta) Sterrett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 217 sentences, grouped into 44 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 12 of Rebecca's Promise?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Rebecca's Promise

Common questions about reading Rebecca's Promise by Frances R. (Frances Roberta) Sterrett on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Rebecca's Promise?

Yes. All 4780 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40024 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Rebecca's Promise is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40024, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Rebecca's Promise take to read?

About 398 minutes of reading across 956 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Rebecca's Promise section by section

How to work through Rebecca's Promise section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Rebecca's Promise

Words and structures a reader meets early in Rebecca's Promise, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Never: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rebecca's Promise; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brought: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rebecca's Promise; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Murmured: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rebecca's Promise; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cousin: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rebecca's Promise; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XII

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