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The Black Robe
The Black Robe

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of The Black Robe is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FATHER BENWELL’S CORRESPONDENCE.
_To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.
The necessity has, however, arisen.
I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.
I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Black Robe

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of The Black Robe is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
FATHER BENWELL’S CORRESPONDENCE.
Line 2
_To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.
/tuː ðə ˈsekrəteri es dʒeɪ roʊm wen aɪ roʊt læst aɪ ˈhɑːrdli θɔːt aɪ ʃʊd ˈtrʌbəl juː əˈɡen soʊ suːn/
Line 3
The necessity has, however, arisen.
/ðə nəˈsesəti hæz ˌhaʊˈevər ərˈɪzən/
Line 4
I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.
Line 5
I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

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.

Acres noun US /ˈeɪkərz/

extensive landed property (especially in the country) retained by the owner for his own use

From this reading “I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.”

arisen verb US /ərˈɪzən/

inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape

From this reading “The necessity has, however, arisen.”

communicate verb US /kəˈmjuːnəkeɪt/

transmit information

From this reading “I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.”

correspondence noun US /ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndəns/

communication by the exchange of letters

From this reading “FATHER BENWELL’S CORRESPONDENCE.”

defer verb US /dɪˈfɜːr/

hold back to a later time

From this reading “I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.”

instructions noun US /ˌɪnˈstrʌkʃənz/

a manual usually accompanying a technical device and explaining how to install or operate it

From this reading “I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.”

Lodge verb US /lɑːdʒ/

be a lodger; stay temporarily

From this reading “I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.”

Reverend noun US /ˈrevərənd/

a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church

From this reading “I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.”

All words in this reading · 72

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.

AcresnounUS /ˈeɪkərz/

extensive landed property (especially in the country) retained by the owner for his own use

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

arisenverbUS /ərˈɪzən/

inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape

From this reading The necessity has, however, arisen.

ArthurnounUS /ˈɑːrθər/

elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.

askverbUS /æsk/

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

BENWELL'S

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

From this reading FATHER BENWELL’S CORRESPONDENCE.

communicateverbUS /kəˈmjuːnəkeɪt/

transmit information

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

CORRESPONDENCEnounUS /ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndəns/

communication by the exchange of letters

From this reading FATHER BENWELL’S CORRESPONDENCE.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

decidedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd/

recognizable; marked

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

deferverbUS /dɪˈfɜːr/

hold back to a later time

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

FATHERnounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

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

From this reading FATHER BENWELL’S CORRESPONDENCE.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.

GeneraladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading The necessity has, however, arisen.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading The necessity has, however, arisen.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

informedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈfɔːrmd/

having much knowledge or education

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

instructionsnounUS /ˌɪnˈstrʌkʃənz/

a manual usually accompanying a technical device and explaining how to install or operate it

From this reading I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.

intendedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtendɪd/

resulting from one's intentions

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

JnounUS /dʒeɪ/

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

LodgeverbUS /lɑːdʒ/

be a lodger; stay temporarily

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

MostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

necessitynounUS /nəˈsesəti/

the condition of being essential or indispensable

From this reading The necessity has, however, arisen.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.

Penrose

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

From this reading I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

ReverendnounUS /ˈrevərənd/

a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church

From this reading I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.

Romayne

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

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

RomenounUS /roʊm/

capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

SnounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

SecretarynounUS /ˈsekrəteri/

a person who is head of an administrative department of government

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

subjectnounUS /səbˈdʒekt/

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading I must ask for instructions, from our Most Reverend General, on the subject of Arthur Penrose.

TennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

WHENconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

Winterfield

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

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I believe that I informed you that I decided to defer my next visit to Ten Acres Lodge for two or three days, in order that Winterfield (if he intended to do so) might have time to communicate with Mrs. Romayne, after his return from the country.

wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading _To the Secretary, S. J., Rome._ WHEN I wrote last, I hardly thought I should trouble you again so soon.

Chapter 26 of The Black Robe by Wilkie Collins holds 105 sentences, grouped into 21 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 26 of The Black Robe contain?

Chapter 26 holds 105 sentences of The Black Robe, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 26 of The Black Robe by Wilkie Collins exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 105 sentences, grouped into 21 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 26 of The Black Robe?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 26 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 26 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 Black Robe

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Is this the complete text of The Black Robe?

Yes. All 6846 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1587 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #1587, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 570 minutes of reading across 1370 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Black Robe

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

Confidences
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Robe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Upper
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Robe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Palatial
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Robe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Houses
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Robe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.