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The Benefactress
The Benefactress

Chapter XXIV

Chapter 24 of The Benefactress is here in full — 297 sentences across 60 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Benefactress
Context Illustration Reading 1/59 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.
"It's in Lohm," cried someone else.
Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.
The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.
Surely it was very near?
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.

The Benefactress

Chapter XXIV

Chapter 24 of The Benefactress is here in full — 297 sentences across 60 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/59 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.
Line 2
"It's in Lohm," cried someone else.
Line 3
Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.
Line 4
The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.
Line 5
Surely it was very near?
/ˈʃʊrli ɪt wɑːz ˈveri nɪr/

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 “Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.”

blown adjective US /bloʊn/

being moved or acted upon by moving air or vapor

From this reading “Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.”

brighter adjective US /ˈbraɪtər/

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

From this reading “The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.”

creaked verb US /kriːkt/

past form of “creak” — make a high-pitched, screeching noise

From this reading “The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.”

glared verb US /ɡlerd/

past form of “glare” — look at with a fixed gaze

From this reading “The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.”

hurrying adjective US /ˈhɜːriɪŋ/

moving with great haste

From this reading “"It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.”

someone pronoun US /ˈsʌmwʌn/

a person, without saying who

From this reading “"It's in Lohm," cried someone else.”

swayed verb US /sweɪd/

past form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading “The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.”

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.

hot wind adjective + noun

In this reading “Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.”

in silence preposition + noun

In this reading “Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.”

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

In this reading “The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.”

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.

alarmnounUS /əˈlɑːrm/

fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.

AnnanounUS /ˈænə/

a former copper coin of Pakistan and India

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

blownadjectiveUS /bloʊn/

being moved or acted upon by moving air or vapor

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

brighteradjectiveUS /ˈbraɪtər/

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

From this reading The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

creakedverbUS /kriːkt/

past form of “creak” — make a high-pitched, screeching noise

From this reading The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.

dustverbUS /dʌst/

remove the dust from

From this reading The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.

else

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

From this reading "It's in Lohm," cried someone else.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

glaredverbUS /ɡlerd/

past form of “glare” — look at with a fixed gaze

From this reading The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

hurryingadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːriɪŋ/

moving with great haste

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Surely it was very near?

It's

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

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

Kleinwalde

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

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

Lohm

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

From this reading "It's in Lohm," cried someone else.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading Surely it was very near?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.

ordinarynounUS /ˈɔːrdəneri/

a judge of a probate court

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

paler

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

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

parching

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

From this reading The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.

princessnounUS /ˈprɪn.ses/

The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

someonepronounUS /ˈsʌmwʌn/

a person, without saying who

From this reading "It's in Lohm," cried someone else.

Stralsund

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

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

SurelyadverbUS /ˈʃʊrli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading Surely it was very near?

swayedverbUS /sweɪd/

past form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading The trees in the dark garden swayed and creaked, the air was parching and full of dust, the light glared brighter each moment.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Surely it was very near?

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

watchedverbUS /wɑːtʃt/

past form of “watch” — look attentively

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "It's in Stralsund," cried the princess, hurrying out into the Kleinwalde garden when first the alarm was given.

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading Anna watched the light in silence, her face paler than ordinary, her hair blown about by the hot wind.

Chapter 24 of The Benefactress by Elizabeth Von Arnim holds 297 sentences, grouped into 60 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 24 of The Benefactress contain?

Chapter 24 holds 297 sentences of The Benefactress, unabridged, divided into 60 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 24 of The Benefactress by Elizabeth Von Arnim exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 297 sentences, grouped into 60 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 24 of The Benefactress?

Work through the 60 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 60 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 24 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 24 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.