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Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales
Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.
Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.
Consciousness returned to her, but at first it was consciousness in an utter dark.
Everywhere was blackness, and in it she was quite alone.
The whole universe seemed to centre in her solitary soul.
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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.

Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.
Line 2
Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.
/ɔːr ˈræðər sʌm ʌv ðə θɪŋz fɔːr moʊst ʌv ðem hæv ˈfeɪdəd əˈweɪ ənd bɪn lɔːst tuː hɜːr ˈmɔːrtəl ˈmem.ər.i/
Line 3
Consciousness returned to her, but at first it was consciousness in an utter dark.
/ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs rɪˈtɜːrnd tuː hɜːr bʌt æt fɜːrst ɪt wɑːz ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs ɪn æn ˈʌtər dɑːrk/
Line 4
Everywhere was blackness, and in it she was quite alone.
/ˈevriwer wɑːz ˈblæknəs ənd ɪn ɪt ʃiː wɑːz kwaɪt əˈloʊn/
Line 5
The whole universe seemed to centre in her solitary soul.
/ðə hoʊl ˈjuːnəvɜːrs siːmd tuː ˈsentər ɪn hɜːr ˈsɑːləteri soʊl/

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.

atonement noun US /əˈtoʊnmənt/

compensation for a wrong

From this reading “THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.”

blackness noun US /ˈblæknəs/

the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)

From this reading “Everywhere was blackness, and in it she was quite alone.”

consciousness noun US /ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/

an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation

From this reading “Consciousness returned to her, but at first it was consciousness in an utter dark.”

earthly adjective US /ˈɜːrθli/

of or belonging to or characteristic of this earth as distinguished from heaven

From this reading “THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.”

faded adjective US /ˈfeɪdəd/

having lost freshness or brilliance of color

From this reading “Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.”

mortal adjective US /ˈmɔːrtəl/

subject to death

From this reading “Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.”

solitary adjective US /ˈsɑːləteri/

characterized by or preferring solitude

From this reading “The whole universe seemed to centre in her solitary soul.”

universe noun US /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading “The whole universe seemed to centre in her solitary soul.”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Everywhere was blackness, and in it she was quite alone.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Consciousness returned to her, but at first it was consciousness in an utter dark.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Consciousness returned to her, but at first it was consciousness in an utter dark.

ATONEMENTnounUS /əˈtoʊnmənt/

compensation for a wrong

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

Barbara

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

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

blacknessnounUS /ˈblæknəs/

the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)

From this reading Everywhere was blackness, and in it she was quite alone.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Consciousness returned to her, but at first it was consciousness in an utter dark.

centrenounUS /ˈsentər/

a low-lying region in central France

From this reading The whole universe seemed to centre in her solitary soul.

ConsciousnessnounUS /ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/

an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation

From this reading Consciousness returned to her, but at first it was consciousness in an utter dark.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Consciousness returned to her, but at first it was consciousness in an utter dark.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

earthlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrθli/

of or belonging to or characteristic of this earth as distinguished from heaven

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

EverywhereadverbUS /ˈevriwer/

to or in any or all places

From this reading Everywhere was blackness, and in it she was quite alone.

fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/

having lost freshness or brilliance of color

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Consciousness returned to her, but at first it was consciousness in an utter dark.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

happenverbUS /ˈhæpən/

come to pass

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Consciousness returned to her, but at first it was consciousness in an utter dark.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Consciousness returned to her, but at first it was consciousness in an utter dark.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

memorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

mortaladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrtəl/

subject to death

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

OrconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading Everywhere was blackness, and in it she was quite alone.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading Consciousness returned to her, but at first it was consciousness in an utter dark.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

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

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Everywhere was blackness, and in it she was quite alone.

solitaryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləteri/

characterized by or preferring solitude

From this reading The whole universe seemed to centre in her solitary soul.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading The whole universe seemed to centre in her solitary soul.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Or rather some of the things, for most of them have faded away and been lost to her mortal memory.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THE ATONEMENT Now these are the things that seemed to happen to Barbara after her earthly death.

universenounUS /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading The whole universe seemed to centre in her solitary soul.

utterverbUS /ˈʌtər/

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

From this reading Consciousness returned to her, but at first it was consciousness in an utter dark.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Consciousness returned to her, but at first it was consciousness in an utter dark.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading The whole universe seemed to centre in her solitary soul.

Chapter 21 of Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard holds 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 21 of Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales contain?

Chapter 21 holds 203 sentences of Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 203 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.

How do I study chapter 21 of Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales?

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.

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 Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales

Common questions about reading Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales?

Yes. All 3989 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6073 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6073, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales take to read?

About 332 minutes of reading across 798 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales section by section

How to work through Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales to begin.

  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 Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales

Words and structures a reader meets early in Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Smith
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Seated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sanctum
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Distinguished
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.