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Suffered in vain
Suffered in vain

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of Suffered in vain is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/46 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PAUL DESFRAYNE’S CONFESSION.
Paul Desfrayne’s weakness did not last many minutes.
Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.
You alarm me, Paul.
I beseech you, tell me the worst at once,” implored his mother.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Suffered in vain

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of Suffered in vain is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/46 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PAUL DESFRAYNE’S CONFESSION.
Line 2
Paul Desfrayne’s weakness did not last many minutes.
Line 3
Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.
/ˈraɪzɪŋ tuː hɪz fiːt hiː stroʊd ˈbækwərd ənd ˈfɔːrwərd hæf ə ˈdʌzən taɪmz ðen ˈpɔːzɪŋ hiː liːnd hɪz ˈfoʊldəd ɑːrmz ɑːn ðə bæk ʌv ðə loʊ kɑːrvd tʃer ˈɪntuː wɪtʃ hiː hæd æt fɜːrst θroʊn hɪmˈself/
Line 4
You alarm me, Paul.
/juː əˈlɑːrm miː pɔːl/
Line 5
I beseech you, tell me the worst at once,” implored his mother.
/aɪ biˈsiːtʃ juː tel miː ðə wɜːrst æt wʌns ˌɪmˈplɔːrd hɪz ˈmʌðər/

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.

backward adverb US /ˈbækwərd/

at or to or toward the back or rear

From this reading “Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.”

beseech verb US /biˈsiːtʃ/

ask for or request earnestly

From this reading “I beseech you, tell me the worst at once,” implored his mother.”

carved adjective US /kɑːrvd/

made for or formed by carving (“carven” is archaic or literary)

From this reading “Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.”

confession noun US /kənˈfeʃən/

an admission of misdeeds or faults

From this reading “PAUL DESFRAYNE’S CONFESSION.”

folded verb US /ˈfoʊldəd/

past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other

From this reading “Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.”

implored verb US /ˌɪmˈplɔːrd/

past form of “implore” — call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading “I beseech you, tell me the worst at once,” implored his mother.”

pausing verb US /ˈpɔːzɪŋ/

-ing form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading “Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.”

strode verb US /stroʊd/

inflected form of “stride” — walk with long steps

From this reading “Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.”

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.

dozen times noun + noun

In this reading “Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.”

folded arms noun + noun counted as “fold arms”

In this reading “Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.”

carved chair adjective + noun

In this reading “Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.”

at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “I beseech you, tell me the worst at once,” implored his mother.”

many minutes adjective + noun

In this reading “Paul Desfrayne’s weakness did not last many minutes.”

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

alarmnounUS /əˈlɑːrm/

fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading “You alarm me, Paul.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

backwardadverbUS /ˈbækwərd/

at or to or toward the back or rear

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

beseechverbUS /biˈsiːtʃ/

ask for or request earnestly

From this reading I beseech you, tell me the worst at once,” implored his mother.

carvedadjectiveUS /kɑːrvd/

made for or formed by carving (“carven” is archaic or literary)

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

CONFESSIONnounUS /kənˈfeʃən/

an admission of misdeeds or faults

From this reading PAUL DESFRAYNE’S CONFESSION.

DESFRAYNE'S

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

From this reading PAUL DESFRAYNE’S CONFESSION.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Paul Desfrayne’s weakness did not last many minutes.

dozennounUS /ˈdʌzən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

foldedverbUS /ˈfoʊldəd/

past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I beseech you, tell me the worst at once,” implored his mother.

imploredverbUS /ˌɪmˈplɔːrd/

past form of “implore” — call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading I beseech you, tell me the worst at once,” implored his mother.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Paul Desfrayne’s weakness did not last many minutes.

leanedverbUS /liːnd/

past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Paul Desfrayne’s weakness did not last many minutes.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “You alarm me, Paul.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading Paul Desfrayne’s weakness did not last many minutes.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading I beseech you, tell me the worst at once,” implored his mother.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Paul Desfrayne’s weakness did not last many minutes.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading I beseech you, tell me the worst at once,” implored his mother.

PAULnounUS /pɔːl/

United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading PAUL DESFRAYNE’S CONFESSION.

pausingverbUS /ˈpɔːzɪŋ/

-ing form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

RisingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪzɪŋ/

advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

strodeverbUS /stroʊd/

inflected form of “stride” — walk with long steps

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading I beseech you, tell me the worst at once,” implored his mother.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

thrownadjectiveUS /θroʊn/

caused to fall to the ground

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

weaknessnounUS /ˈwiːknəs/

a flaw or weak point

From this reading Paul Desfrayne’s weakness did not last many minutes.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Rising to his feet, he strode backward and forward half a dozen times; then, pausing, he leaned his folded arms on the back of the low, carved chair into which he had at first thrown himself.

worstnounUS /wɜːrst/

the least favorable outcome

From this reading I beseech you, tell me the worst at once,” implored his mother.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You alarm me, Paul.

Chapter 14 of Suffered in vain by Bertha M. Clay holds 234 sentences, grouped into 47 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 14 of Suffered in vain contain?

Chapter 14 holds 234 sentences of Suffered in vain, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of Suffered in vain by Bertha M. Clay exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 234 sentences, grouped into 47 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 14 of Suffered in vain?

Work through the 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 47 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 Suffered in vain

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Is this the complete text of Suffered in vain?

Yes. All 4530 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75137 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Suffered in vain is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #75137, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 377 minutes of reading across 906 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Suffered in vain

Words and structures a reader meets early in Suffered in vain, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Stories
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Suffered in vain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Plenty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Suffered in vain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Action
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Suffered in vain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Countless
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Suffered in vain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.