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Rhoda Fleming — Complete
Rhoda Fleming — Complete

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Rhoda Fleming — Complete is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Rhoda Fleming — Complete
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.
She had cried passion out, and sobbed now for comfort.
She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.
They touched the nut-brown hair to vivid threads of fire: but she lay faceless.
Utter languor and the dread of looking at her eyelids in the glass kept her prostrate.
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Rhoda Fleming — Complete

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Rhoda Fleming — Complete is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.
Line 2
She had cried passion out, and sobbed now for comfort.
/ʃiː hæd kraɪd ˈpæʃən aʊt ənd sɑːbd naʊ fɔːr ˈkʌmfərt/
Line 3
She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.
Line 4
They touched the nut-brown hair to vivid threads of fire: but she lay faceless.
Line 5
Utter languor and the dread of looking at her eyelids in the glass kept her prostrate.

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.

beams noun US /biːmz/

plural of “beam” — a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather

From this reading “She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.”

Dahlia noun US /ˈdæljə/

any of several plants of or developed from the species Dahlia pinnata having tuberous roots and showy rayed variously colored flower heads; native to the mountains of Mexico and Central America and Colombia

From this reading “Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.”

faceless adjective US /ˈfeɪsləs/

without a face or identity

From this reading “They touched the nut-brown hair to vivid threads of fire: but she lay faceless.”

prostrate verb US /ˈprɑːstreɪt/

get into a prostrate position, as in submission

From this reading “Utter languor and the dread of looking at her eyelids in the glass kept her prostrate.”

rounded adjective US /ˈraʊndəd/

curving and somewhat round in shape rather than jagged

From this reading “She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.”

silken adjective US /ˈsɪlkən/

having a smooth, gleaming surface reflecting light

From this reading “She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.”

sister's noun US /ˈsɪstərz/

possessive form of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading “Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.”

threads noun US /θredz/

informal terms for clothing

From this reading “They touched the nut-brown hair to vivid threads of fire: but she lay faceless.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading She had cried passion out, and sobbed now for comfort.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

beamsnounUS /biːmz/

plural of “beam” — a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading They touched the nut-brown hair to vivid threads of fire: but she lay faceless.

comfortnounUS /ˈkʌmfərt/

a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain

From this reading She had cried passion out, and sobbed now for comfort.

creaturenounUS /ˈkriːtʃər/

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading She had cried passion out, and sobbed now for comfort.

DahlianounUS /ˈdæljə/

any of several plants of or developed from the species Dahlia pinnata having tuberous roots and showy rayed variously colored flower heads; native to the mountains of Mexico and Central America and Colombia

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

deep-coloured

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

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

drawing-room

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

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

dreadnounUS /dred/

fearful expectation or anticipation

From this reading Utter languor and the dread of looking at her eyelids in the glass kept her prostrate.

dressverbUS /dres/

put on clothes

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

eyelidsnounUS /ˈaɪlɪdz/

plural of “eyelid” — either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye

From this reading Utter languor and the dread of looking at her eyelids in the glass kept her prostrate.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

facelessadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪsləs/

without a face or identity

From this reading They touched the nut-brown hair to vivid threads of fire: but she lay faceless.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading They touched the nut-brown hair to vivid threads of fire: but she lay faceless.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading She had cried passion out, and sobbed now for comfort.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

furnishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɜːrnɪʃt/

provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose (as furniture or equipment or authority)

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

glassnounUS /ɡlæs/

a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure

From this reading Utter languor and the dread of looking at her eyelids in the glass kept her prostrate.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading She had cried passion out, and sobbed now for comfort.

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading They touched the nut-brown hair to vivid threads of fire: but she lay faceless.

handkerchiefnounUS /ˈhæŋkərtʃɪf/

a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose or as a costume accessory

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

joyfuladjectiveUS /ˈdʒɔɪfəl/

full of or producing joy

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading Utter languor and the dread of looking at her eyelids in the glass kept her prostrate.

languornoun

a relaxed comfortable feeling

From this reading Utter languor and the dread of looking at her eyelids in the glass kept her prostrate.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

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

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Utter languor and the dread of looking at her eyelids in the glass kept her prostrate.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading She had cried passion out, and sobbed now for comfort.

nut-brown

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

From this reading They touched the nut-brown hair to vivid threads of fire: but she lay faceless.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading She had cried passion out, and sobbed now for comfort.

passionnounUS /ˈpæʃən/

a strong feeling or emotion

From this reading She had cried passion out, and sobbed now for comfort.

perplexitynounUS /pərˈpleksəti/

trouble or confusion resulting from complexity

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

pleasantlyadverbUS /ˈplezəntli/

in a cheerful manner

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

prostrateverbUS /ˈprɑːstreɪt/

get into a prostrate position, as in submission

From this reading Utter languor and the dread of looking at her eyelids in the glass kept her prostrate.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

richadjectiveUS /rɪtʃ/

possessing material wealth

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

roundedadjectiveUS /ˈraʊndəd/

curving and somewhat round in shape rather than jagged

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She had cried passion out, and sobbed now for comfort.

silkenadjectiveUS /ˈsɪlkən/

having a smooth, gleaming surface reflecting light

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

sister'snounUS /ˈsɪstərz/

possessive form of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

sobbedverbUS /sɑːbd/

inflected form of “sob” — weep convulsively

From this reading She had cried passion out, and sobbed now for comfort.

sobbingnounUS /ˈsɑːbɪŋ/

convulsive gasp made while weeping

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

sofanounUS /ˈsoʊfə/

an upholstered seat for more than one person

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

stretchedadjectiveUS /stretʃt/

(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They touched the nut-brown hair to vivid threads of fire: but she lay faceless.

threadsnounUS /θredz/

informal terms for clothing

From this reading They touched the nut-brown hair to vivid threads of fire: but she lay faceless.

threwverbUS /θruː/

inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

touchedadjectiveUS /tʌtʃt/

having come into contact

From this reading They touched the nut-brown hair to vivid threads of fire: but she lay faceless.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

UtterverbUS /ˈʌtər/

articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise

From this reading Utter languor and the dread of looking at her eyelids in the glass kept her prostrate.

vividadjectiveUS /ˈvɪvəd/

evoking lifelike images within the mind

From this reading They touched the nut-brown hair to vivid threads of fire: but she lay faceless.

wallnounUS /wɔːl/

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

WinternounUS /ˈwɪntər/

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Dahlia, the perplexity to her sister's heart, lay stretched at full length upon the sofa of a pleasantly furnished London drawing-room, sobbing to herself, with her handkerchief across her eyes.

wrecknounUS /rek/

something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation

From this reading She lay in her rich silken dress like the wreck of a joyful creature, while the large red Winter sun rounded to evening, and threw deep-coloured beams against the wall above her head.

Chapter 9 of Rhoda Fleming — Complete by George Meredith holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 9 of Rhoda Fleming — Complete contain?

Chapter 9 holds 418 sentences of Rhoda Fleming — Complete, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Rhoda Fleming — Complete by George Meredith exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 9 of Rhoda Fleming — Complete?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Rhoda Fleming — Complete

Common questions about reading Rhoda Fleming — Complete by George Meredith on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Rhoda Fleming — Complete?

Yes. All 10388 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4426 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Rhoda Fleming — Complete is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4426, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Rhoda Fleming — Complete take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2078 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Rhoda Fleming — Complete section by section

How to work through Rhoda Fleming — Complete section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Rhoda Fleming — Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in Rhoda Fleming — Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fleming
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rhoda Fleming — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brother
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rhoda Fleming — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rhoda Fleming — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kentish
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rhoda Fleming — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.