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The Benefactress
The Benefactress

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Benefactress is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Benefactress
Context Illustration Reading 1/43 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.
"You here?" exclaimed Anna, holding out both hands.
She was more than usually pleased to see him.
"Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.
I was there and saw the letters, and thought you might want them."
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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 Benefactress

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Benefactress is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.
Line 2
"You here?" exclaimed Anna, holding out both hands.
/juː hiːr ɪkˈskleɪmd ˈænə ˈhoʊldɪŋ aʊt boʊθ hændz/
Line 3
She was more than usually pleased to see him.
/ʃiː wɑːz mɔːr ðæn ˈjuːʒəwəli pliːzd tuː siː hɪm/
Line 4
"Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.
Line 5
I was there and saw the letters, and thought you might want them."
/aɪ wɑːz ðer ənd sɔː ðə ˈletərz ənd θɔːt juː maɪt wɑːnt ðem/

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.

Anna noun US /ˈænə/

a former copper coin of Pakistan and India

From this reading “"You here?" exclaimed Anna, holding out both hands.”

coat noun US /koʊt/

an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors

From this reading “Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.”

conference noun US /ˈkɑːnfərəns/

a prearranged meeting for consultation or exchange of information or discussion (especially one with a formal agenda)

From this reading “"Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.”

holding noun US /ˈhoʊldɪŋ/

the act of retaining something

From this reading “"You here?" exclaimed Anna, holding out both hands.”

pastors noun US /ˈpæstərz/

plural of “pastor” — a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading “"Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.”

pile noun US /paɪl/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading “"Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.”

servant noun US /ˈsɜːrvənt/

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading “Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.”

usually adverb US /ˈjuːʒəwəli/

under normal conditions

From this reading “She was more than usually pleased to see him.”

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.

in the hall preposition + article + noun counted as “in … hall”

In this reading “Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

AnnanounUS /ˈænə/

a former copper coin of Pakistan and India

From this reading "You here?" exclaimed Anna, holding out both hands.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

Axel

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

From this reading Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading "You here?" exclaimed Anna, holding out both hands.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

coatnounUS /koʊt/

an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors

From this reading Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

conferencenounUS /ˈkɑːnfərəns/

a prearranged meeting for consultation or exchange of information or discussion (especially one with a formal agenda)

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading "You here?" exclaimed Anna, holding out both hands.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

hallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading "You here?" exclaimed Anna, holding out both hands.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "You here?" exclaimed Anna, holding out both hands.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

holdingnounUS /ˈhoʊldɪŋ/

the act of retaining something

From this reading "You here?" exclaimed Anna, holding out both hands.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I was there and saw the letters, and thought you might want them."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/

the literary culture

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

Lohm

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

From this reading Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

Manske

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

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading I was there and saw the letters, and thought you might want them."

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading She was more than usually pleased to see him.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "You here?" exclaimed Anna, holding out both hands.

pastorsnounUS /ˈpæstərz/

plural of “pastor” — a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

pilenounUS /paɪl/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

pleasedadjectiveUS /pliːzd/

experiencing or manifesting pleasure

From this reading She was more than usually pleased to see him.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading I was there and saw the letters, and thought you might want them."

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading She was more than usually pleased to see him.

servantnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənt/

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She was more than usually pleased to see him.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading She was more than usually pleased to see him.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading "Manske had a pile of letters for you, and could not get them to you because he has a pastors' conference at his house.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading I was there and saw the letters, and thought you might want them."

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading I was there and saw the letters, and thought you might want them."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She was more than usually pleased to see him.

usuallyadverbUS /ˈjuːʒəwəli/

under normal conditions

From this reading She was more than usually pleased to see him.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading I was there and saw the letters, and thought you might want them."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Axel Lohm was in the hall, having his coat taken from him by a servant.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You here?" exclaimed Anna, holding out both hands.

Chapter 17 of The Benefactress by Elizabeth Von Arnim holds 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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 17 of The Benefactress contain?

Chapter 17 holds 215 sentences of The Benefactress, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Benefactress by Elizabeth Von Arnim exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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 17 of The Benefactress?

Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 43 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Benefactress

Common questions about reading The Benefactress by Elizabeth Von Arnim on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Benefactress?

Yes. All 6528 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30302 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Benefactress is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #30302, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Benefactress take to read?

About 544 minutes of reading across 1306 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Benefactress section by section

How to work through The Benefactress section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 32 chapters of The Benefactress 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 Benefactress

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Benefactress, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Norwood
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Benefactress; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Press
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Benefactress; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gushing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Benefactress; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Berwick
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Benefactress; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.