The changed brides

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The changed brides is here in full — 254 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth • Curated US English Learning Edition

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A GREAT DISCOVERY.

Oh, fatal opportunity!

That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

The means that fortune yields must be embraced And not neglected; else if fortune would, And we will not, her offers we refuse, And miss the means of action and success.—SHAKSPEARE.

She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

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Chapter XXIII Reading 1/50

The changed brides Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The changed brides is here in full — 254 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

A GREAT DISCOVERY. Oh, fatal opportunity! That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM. The means that fortune yields must be embraced And not neglected; else if fortune would, And we will not, her offers we refuse, And miss the means of action and success.—SHAKSPEARE. She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

The changed brides

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The changed brides is here in full — 254 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A GREAT DISCOVERY.

/ə ɡreɪt dɪˈskʌvəri/

Line 2

Oh, fatal opportunity!

/oʊ ˈfeɪtəl ˌɑːpərˈtuːnəti/

Line 3

That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

Line 4

The means that fortune yields must be embraced And not neglected; else if fortune would, And we will not, her offers we refuse, And miss the means of action and success.—SHAKSPEARE.

Line 5

She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

/ʃiː huːm ðeɪ hæd sɔːt soʊ ˈveɪnli leɪ ðer ˈdʌbəld ʌp ɑːn ðə flɔːr ənd ˈpɑːrtli ˈkʌvərd baɪ ðə ˈdrɑːpɪŋ foʊldz ʌv ðə ˈkɜːrtən/

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.

doubled adjective US /ˈdʌbəld/

twice as great or many

From this reading “She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.”

embraced verb US /emˈbreɪst/

past form of “embrace” — include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory

From this reading “The means that fortune yields must be embraced And not neglected; else if fortune would, And we will not, her offers we refuse, And miss the means of action and success.—SHAKSPEARE.”

folds noun US /foʊldz/

plural of “fold” — an angular or rounded shape made by folding

From this reading “She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.”

offers noun US /ˈɔːfərz/

plural of “offer” — the verbal act of offering

resolutions noun US /ˌrezəˈluːʃənz/

plural of “resolution” — a formal expression by a meeting; agreed to by a vote

From this reading “That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.”

ripe adjective US /raɪp/

fully developed or matured and ready to be eaten or used

From this reading “That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.”

vainly adverb US /ˈveɪnli/

to no avail

From this reading “She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.”

yields noun US /jiːldz/

plural of “yield” — production of a certain amount

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.

partly covered adverb + adjective

In this reading “She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.”

on the floor preposition + article + noun counted as “on … floor”

In this reading “She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.”

GREAT DISCOVERY adjective + noun

In this reading “A GREAT DISCOVERY.”

lay there verb + particle

In this reading “She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 A GREAT DISCOVERY.

actionnounUS /ˈækʃən/

something done (usually as opposed to something said)

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The means that fortune yields must be embraced And not neglected; else if fortune would, And we will not, her offers we refuse, And miss the means of action and success.—SHAKSPEARE.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

birthnounUS /bɜːrθ/

the time when something begins (especially life)

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

brings't

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

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

coveredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌvərd/

overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

curtainnounUS /ˈkɜːrtən/

hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

DENHAM

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

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

desiresnounUS /dɪˈzaɪərz/

plural of “desire” — the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

DISCOVERYnounUS /dɪˈskʌvəri/

the act of discovering something

From this reading A GREAT DISCOVERY.

doubledadjectiveUS /ˈdʌbəld/

twice as great or many

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

droppingadjectiveUS /ˈdrɑːpɪŋ/

coming down freely under the influence of gravity

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

else

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

embracedverbUS /emˈbreɪst/

past form of “embrace” — include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory

fataladjectiveUS /ˈfeɪtəl/

bringing death

From this reading Oh, fatal opportunity!

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

foldsnounUS /foʊldz/

plural of “fold” — an angular or rounded shape made by folding

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

giv'st

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

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

GREATadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading A GREAT DISCOVERY.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

missverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

neglectedadjectiveUS /nəˈɡlektəd/

disregarded

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

offersnounUS /ˈɔːfərz/

plural of “offer” — the verbal act of offering

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Oh, fatal opportunity!

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

opportunitynounUS /ˌɑːpərˈtuːnəti/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading Oh, fatal opportunity!

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

partlyadverbUS /ˈpɑːrtli/

to some extent; in some degree; not wholly

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

refuseverbUS /rəˈfjuːz/

show unwillingness towards

resolutionsnounUS /ˌrezəˈluːʃənz/

plural of “resolution” — a formal expression by a meeting; agreed to by a vote

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

ripeadjectiveUS /raɪp/

fully developed or matured and ready to be eaten or used

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

SHAKSPEARE

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

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

soughtadjectiveUS /sɔːt/

that is looked for

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

successnounUS /səkˈses/

an event that accomplishes its intended purpose

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

vainlyadverbUS /ˈveɪnli/

to no avail

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading She whom they had sought so vainly, lay there, doubled up, on the floor, and partly covered by the dropping folds of the curtain.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

work'st

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

From this reading That work’st our thoughts into desires, desires To resolutions; and these being ripe and ready, Then giv’st them birth and brings’t them forth to action.—DENHAM.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

yieldsnounUS /jiːldz/

plural of “yield” — production of a certain amount

Chapter 23 of The changed brides by Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth holds 254 sentences, grouped into 51 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 23 of The changed brides contain?

Chapter 23 holds 254 sentences of The changed brides, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The changed brides by Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 254 sentences, grouped into 51 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 23 of The changed brides?

Work through the 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 51 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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.

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Chapter XXIII

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