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Rena's experiment
Rena's experiment

Chapter XXI · Rex’s Experiment

Chapter XXI of Rena's experiment, “Rex’s Experiment,” is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Rena's experiment
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Rex was very weak but his mind was clear.
The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.
He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.
Tell her so when you write.”
That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Rena's experiment

Chapter XXI · Rex’s Experiment

Chapter XXI of Rena's experiment, “Rex’s Experiment,” is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Rex was very weak but his mind was clear.
/reks wɑːz ˈveri wiːk bʌt hɪz maɪnd wɑːz klɪr/
Line 2
The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.
Line 3
He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.
Line 4
Tell her so when you write.”
/tel hɜːr soʊ wen juː raɪt/
Line 5
That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.

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.

chapter noun US /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading “That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.”

connected adjective US /kəˈnektɪd/

being joined in close association

From this reading “That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.”

forgive verb US /fərˈɡɪv/

stop blaming or grant forgiveness

From this reading “He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.”

mentioned verb US /ˈmenʃənd/

past form of “mention” — make reference to

From this reading “He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.”

pillow noun US /ˈpɪloʊ/

a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person

From this reading “He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.”

remembered verb US /rɪˈmembərd/

past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading “The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.”

Rex noun US /reks/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading “Rex was very weak but his mind was clear.”

weak adjective US /wiːk/

wanting in physical strength

From this reading “Rex was very weak but his mind was clear.”

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.

felt sure verb + adjective

In this reading “That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.”

seemed very verb + adjective counted as “seem very”

In this reading “The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.”

All words in this reading · 71

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Rex was very weak but his mind was clear.

chapternounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.

clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading Rex was very weak but his mind was clear.

closedadjectiveUS /kloʊzd/

not open or affording passage or access

From this reading That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.

connectedadjectiveUS /kəˈnektɪd/

being joined in close association

From this reading That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

forgiveverbUS /fərˈɡɪv/

stop blaming or grant forgiveness

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Rex was very weak but his mind was clear.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

Irene

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

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

Irene's

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

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

Johnnie's

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

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.

mentionedverbUS /ˈmenʃənd/

past form of “mention” — make reference to

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Rex was very weak but his mind was clear.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

notenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

pillownounUS /ˈpɪloʊ/

a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

rememberedverbUS /rɪˈmembərd/

past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

Rena

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

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

RexnounUS /reks/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading Rex was very weak but his mind was clear.

Rex's

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

From this reading That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.

sayingnounUS /ˈseɪɪŋ/

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Tell her so when you write.”

sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.

TellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading Tell her so when you write.”

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

there's

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

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

TomnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading That was all, and Tom felt sure that the chapter of Rex’s life as connected with Irene was closed.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Rex was very weak but his mind was clear.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Rex was very weak but his mind was clear.

weakadjectiveUS /wiːk/

wanting in physical strength

From this reading Rex was very weak but his mind was clear.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading He never mentioned Irene, but Rena told him at last of Johnnie’s death, and gave him Irene’s note, which he read and then put under his pillow, saying: “I am sorry for her, and there’s nothing to forgive.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The eye was gone, and if he remembered it he never spoke of it, but lay very quiet and seemed very happy when Rena was with him, as she was every day.

writeverbUS /raɪt/

produce a literary work

From this reading Tell her so when you write.”

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Tell her so when you write.”

Chapter 21 of Rena's experiment by Mary Jane Holmes holds 200 sentences, grouped into 40 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 21 of Rena's experiment contain?

Chapter 21 holds 200 sentences of Rena's experiment, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of Rena's experiment by Mary Jane Holmes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 200 sentences, grouped into 40 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 21 of Rena's experiment?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Rena's experiment

Common questions about reading Rena's experiment by Mary Jane Holmes on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Rena's experiment?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Rena's experiment is used?

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

How long does Rena's experiment take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Rena's experiment

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

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Rena's experiment, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Rena's experiment, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Rena's experiment, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.