Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2
Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2 is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2
Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
WEDDING RAIMENT Philip and Sylvia were engaged.
It was not so happy a state of things as Philip had imagined.
He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.
He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.
She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2 is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
WEDDING RAIMENT Philip and Sylvia were engaged.
Line 2
It was not so happy a state of things as Philip had imagined.
/ɪt wɑːz nɑːt soʊ ˈhæpi ə steɪt ʌv θɪŋz æz ˈfɪləp hæd ˌɪˈmædʒənd/
Line 3
He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.
Line 4
He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.
Line 5
She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.

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.

alleged adjective US /əˈledʒd/

declared but not proved

From this reading “He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.”

brighter adjective US /ˈbraɪtər/

comparative of “bright” — emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading “She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.”

coyer adjective US /ˈkɔɪər/

comparative of “coy” — affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way

From this reading “She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.”

defined adjective US /dɪˈfaɪnd/

clearly characterized or delimited

From this reading “He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.”

dissatisfied adjective US /dɪˈsætəsfaɪd/

in a state of sulky dissatisfaction

From this reading “He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.”

happier adjective US /ˈhæpiər/

comparative of “happy” — enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading “She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.”

twenty-four adjective US /ˈtwentifɔːr/

being four more than twenty

From this reading “He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.”

unchanged adjective US /ənˈtʃeɪndʒd/

not made or become different

From this reading “He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.”

All words in this reading · 68

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 It was not so happy a state of things as Philip had imagined.

accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/

a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

allegedadjectiveUS /əˈledʒd/

declared but not proved

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.

althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading WEDDING RAIMENT Philip and Sylvia were engaged.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading It was not so happy a state of things as Philip had imagined.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.

brighteradjectiveUS /ˈbraɪtər/

comparative of “bright” — emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

compelledverbUS /kəmˈpeld/

inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

coyeradjectiveUS /ˈkɔɪər/

comparative of “coy” — affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way

From this reading She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.

definedadjectiveUS /dɪˈfaɪnd/

clearly characterized or delimited

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

dissatisfiedadjectiveUS /dɪˈsætəsfaɪd/

in a state of sulky dissatisfaction

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

engagedadjectiveUS /enˈɡeɪdʒd/

having ones attention or mind or energy engaged

From this reading WEDDING RAIMENT Philip and Sylvia were engaged.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.

gentleadjectiveUS /ˈdʒentəl/

soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe

From this reading She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It was not so happy a state of things as Philip had imagined.

happieradjectiveUS /ˈhæpiər/

comparative of “happy” — enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading It was not so happy a state of things as Philip had imagined.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.

hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

imaginedverbUS /ˌɪˈmædʒənd/

past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case

From this reading It was not so happy a state of things as Philip had imagined.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was not so happy a state of things as Philip had imagined.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It was not so happy a state of things as Philip had imagined.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was not so happy a state of things as Philip had imagined.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.

PhilipnounUS /ˈfɪləp/

Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)

From this reading WEDDING RAIMENT Philip and Sylvia were engaged.

positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

probablyadverbUS /ˈprɑːbəbliː/

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

promisedverbUS /ˈprɑːməst/

past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment

From this reading He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.

RAIMENTnoun

especially fine or decorative clothing

From this reading WEDDING RAIMENT Philip and Sylvia were engaged.

reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.

shyer

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

From this reading She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading It was not so happy a state of things as Philip had imagined.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading It was not so happy a state of things as Philip had imagined.

Sylvia

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

From this reading WEDDING RAIMENT Philip and Sylvia were engaged.

Sylvia's

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

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading She was quiet and gentle; but no shyer, no brighter, no coyer, no happier, than she had been for months before.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading It was not so happy a state of things as Philip had imagined.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

twenty-fouradjectiveUS /ˈtwentifɔːr/

being four more than twenty

From this reading He had already found that out, although it was not twenty-four hours since Sylvia had promised to be his.

unchangedadjectiveUS /ənˈtʃeɪndʒd/

not made or become different

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was not so happy a state of things as Philip had imagined.

WEDDINGnounUS /ˈwedɪŋ/

the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed

From this reading WEDDING RAIMENT Philip and Sylvia were engaged.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading WEDDING RAIMENT Philip and Sylvia were engaged.

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading He could not have defined why he was dissatisfied; if he had been compelled to account for his feeling, he would probably have alleged as a reason that Sylvia's manner was so unchanged by her new position towards him.

Chapter 14 of Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2 by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell holds 224 sentences, grouped into 45 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 14 of Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2 contain?

Chapter 14 holds 224 sentences of Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2 by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 224 sentences, grouped into 45 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 Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 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 Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2

Common questions about reading Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2 by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2?

Yes. All 2353 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4535 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4535, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2 take to read?

About 196 minutes of reading across 471 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2 section by section

How to work through Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 14 chapters of Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2 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 Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2

Words and structures a reader meets early in Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Lengthens
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Strengthens
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Frost
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Began
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sylvia's Lovers — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.