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The Barrier: A Novel
The Barrier: A Novel

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of The Barrier: A Novel is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Allen French • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Barrier: A Novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.
Was his death her fault?
Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.
She might have guessed the desperate resolve that he had taken.
What would have been her duty, had she understood?
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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.

The Barrier: A Novel

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of The Barrier: A Novel is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.
Line 2
Was his death her fault?
/wɑːz hɪz deθ hɜːr fɔːlt/
Line 3
Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.
/hæd ʃiː ækˈseptɪd ˈelɪs ɔːr hæd ʃiː rɪˈkɔːld hɜːr rəˈfjuːzəl wen hɜːr ˈfɑːðər beɡd hɜːr ðə ˈkɜːrnəl wʊd naʊ biː ˈlɪvɪŋ/
Line 4
She might have guessed the desperate resolve that he had taken.
/ʃiː maɪt hæv ɡest ðə ˈdesprɪt riˈzɑːlv ðæt hiː hæd ˈteɪkən/
Line 5
What would have been her duty, had she understood?
/wʌt wʊd hæv bɪn hɜːr ˈduːti hæd ʃiː ˌʌndərˈstʊd/

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.

binds noun US /baɪndz/

plural of “bind” — something that hinders as if with bonds

From this reading “JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ellis noun US /ˈelɪs/

plural of “elli” — (Norse mythology) goddess of old age who defeated Thor in a wrestling match

From this reading “Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
guessed verb US /ɡest/

past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading “She might have guessed the desperate resolve that he had taken.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
judith noun US /ˈdʒuːdəθ/

Jewish heroine in one of the books of the Apocrypha; she saved her people by decapitating the Assyrian general Holofernes

From this reading “JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recalled verb US /rɪˈkɔːld/

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

From this reading “Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
refusal noun US /rəˈfjuːzəl/

the act of refusing

From this reading “Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resolve verb US /riˈzɑːlv/

bring to an end; settle conclusively

From this reading “She might have guessed the desperate resolve that he had taken.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wrestling noun US /ˈreslɪŋ/

the act of engaging in close hand-to-hand combat

From this reading “JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 52

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.

acceptedadjectiveUS /ækˈseptɪd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

Velmora curated lexicon
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading What would have been her duty, had she understood?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beggedverbUS /beɡd/

inflected form of “beg” — call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BINDSnounUS /baɪndz/

plural of “bind” — something that hinders as if with bonds

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ColonelnounUS /ˈkɜːrnəl/

a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general

From this reading Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading Was his death her fault?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desperateadjectiveUS /ˈdesprɪt/

arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope

From this reading She might have guessed the desperate resolve that he had taken.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discoverynounUS /dɪˈskʌvəri/

the act of discovering something

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dutynounUS /ˈduːti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading What would have been her duty, had she understood?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EllisnounUS /ˈelɪs/

plural of “elli” — (Norse mythology) goddess of old age who defeated Thor in a wrestling match

From this reading Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
faultnounUS /fɔːlt/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading Was his death her fault?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
guessedverbUS /ɡest/

past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading She might have guessed the desperate resolve that he had taken.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading She might have guessed the desperate resolve that he had taken.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading She might have guessed the desperate resolve that he had taken.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HERSELFpronounUS /hərˈself/

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

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Was his death her fault?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JUDITHnounUS /ˈdʒuːdəθ/

Jewish heroine in one of the books of the Apocrypha; she saved her people by decapitating the Assyrian general Holofernes

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mather

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

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

Pending verification
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading She might have guessed the desperate resolve that he had taken.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recalledverbUS /rɪˈkɔːld/

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

From this reading Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
refusalnounUS /rəˈfjuːzəl/

the act of refusing

From this reading Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resolveverbUS /riˈzɑːlv/

bring to an end; settle conclusively

From this reading She might have guessed the desperate resolve that he had taken.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rushedadjectiveUS /rʌʃt/

done under pressure

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading She might have guessed the desperate resolve that he had taken.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She might have guessed the desperate resolve that he had taken.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
understoodadjectiveUS /ˌʌndərˈstʊd/

fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation

From this reading What would have been her duty, had she understood?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What would have been her duty, had she understood?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Had she accepted Ellis, or had she recalled her refusal when her father begged her, the Colonel would now be living.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wrestlingnounUS /ˈreslɪŋ/

the act of engaging in close hand-to-hand combat

From this reading JUDITH BINDS HERSELF Judith was alone, waiting for Mather, and wrestling with the question which at the discovery of her father's body had rushed upon her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 28 of The Barrier: A Novel by Allen French holds 170 sentences, grouped into 34 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 28 of The Barrier: A Novel contain?

Chapter 28 holds 170 sentences of The Barrier: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of The Barrier: A Novel by Allen French exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 170 sentences, grouped into 34 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 28 of The Barrier: A Novel?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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 The Barrier: A Novel

Common questions about reading The Barrier: A Novel by Allen French on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Barrier: A Novel?

Yes. All 6781 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41890 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Barrier: A Novel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #41890, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Barrier: A Novel take to read?

About 565 minutes of reading across 1357 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Barrier: A Novel section by section

How to work through The Barrier: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 33 chapters of The Barrier: A Novel 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 The Barrier: A Novel

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Barrier: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Statement
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Barrier: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Certain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Barrier: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Circle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Barrier: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Well-to-do
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Barrier: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.