Chapter 20 of The Black Robe is here in full — 147 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The Black Robe is here in full — 147 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FATHER BENWELL AND THE BOOK. ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house. The report was more favorable than usual. Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!” Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.
Chapter 20 of The Black Robe is here in full — 147 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading “ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.”
encouraging or approving or pleasing
From this reading “The report was more favorable than usual.”
plural of “inquiry” — a search for knowledge
From this reading “ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.”
past form of “kiss” — touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.
From this reading “Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!””
past form of “proceed” — continue talking
From this reading “Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.”
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading “The report was more favorable than usual.”
any address at which you dwell more than temporarily
From this reading “Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.”
United States minimalist painter (born in 1936)
From this reading “Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!””
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading FATHER BENWELL AND THE BOOK.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FATHER BENWELL AND THE BOOK.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading FATHER BENWELL AND THE BOOK.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!”
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading FATHER BENWELL AND THE BOOK.
encouraging or approving or pleasing
From this reading The report was more favorable than usual.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!”
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
plural of “inquiry” — a search for knowledge
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
past form of “kiss” — touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.
From this reading Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!”
the act of departing
From this reading Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.
engage in
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The report was more favorable than usual.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.
past form of “proceed” — continue talking
From this reading Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading The report was more favorable than usual.
any address at which you dwell more than temporarily
From this reading Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!”
in the near future
From this reading Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!”
United States minimalist painter (born in 1936)
From this reading Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!”
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The report was more favorable than usual.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FATHER BENWELL AND THE BOOK.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading The report was more favorable than usual.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
during the time that
From this reading Leaving the horses to rest for a while, he proceeded to Lord Loring’s residence on foot.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!”
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading ROMAYNE’S first errand in London was to see his wife, and to make inquiries at Mrs. Eyrecourt’s house.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Stella whispered, as she kissed him, “I shall soon come back to you, I hope!”
Chapter 20 of The Black Robe by Wilkie Collins holds 147 sentences, grouped into 30 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.
Chapter 20 holds 147 sentences of The Black Robe, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The Black Robe by Wilkie Collins exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 147 sentences, grouped into 30 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.
Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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.
Common questions about reading The Black Robe by Wilkie Collins on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6846 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1587 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1587, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 570 minutes of reading across 1370 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Black Robe section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of The Black Robe to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Black Robe, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
