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The Chaplain of the Fleet
The Chaplain of the Fleet

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The Chaplain of the Fleet is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Chaplain of the Fleet
Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HOW THE DOCTOR WROTE TO KITTY.
The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.
It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.
I opened it and found a smaller letter inside it, marked "Private.
For my niece's eye alone."
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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 Chaplain of the Fleet

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The Chaplain of the Fleet is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HOW THE DOCTOR WROTE TO KITTY.
Line 2
The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.
Line 3
It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.
/ɪt wɑːz əˈdrest tuː miː ɪn ə lɑːrdʒ boʊld ˈhændraɪtɪŋ ənd wɑːz siːld wɪð red wæks/
Line 4
I opened it and found a smaller letter inside it, marked "Private.
/aɪ ˈoʊpənd ɪt ənd faʊnd ə ˈsmɔːlər ˈletər ˌɪnˈsaɪd ɪt mɑːrkt ˈpraɪvət/
Line 5
For my niece's eye alone."
/fɔːr maɪ ˈniːsɪz aɪ əˈloʊn/

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.

handwriting noun US /ˈhændraɪtɪŋ/

something written by hand

From this reading “It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.”

horn noun US /hɔːrn/

a noisemaker (as at parties or games) that makes a loud noise when you blow through it

From this reading “The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.”

kitty noun US /ˈkɪti/

the combined stakes of the betters

From this reading “HOW THE DOCTOR WROTE TO KITTY.”

niece's noun US /ˈniːsɪz/

possessive form of “niece” — a daughter of your brother or sister

From this reading “For my niece's eye alone."”

sealed adjective US /siːld/

established irrevocably

From this reading “It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.”

smaller adjective US /ˈsmɔːlər/

small or little relative to something else

From this reading “I opened it and found a smaller letter inside it, marked "Private.”

summons noun US /ˈsʌmənz/

a request to be present

From this reading “The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.”

wax verb US /wæks/

cover with wax

From this reading “It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.”

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.

next morning adjective + noun

In this reading “The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.”

at dinner preposition + noun

In this reading “The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.”

All words in this reading · 48

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 The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

addressedadjectiveUS /əˈdrest/

(of mail) marked with a destination

From this reading It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading For my niece's eye alone."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

boldadjectiveUS /boʊld/

fearless and daring

From this reading It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.

Cicely

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

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

DOCTORnounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading HOW THE DOCTOR WROTE TO KITTY.

eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

From this reading For my niece's eye alone."

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For my niece's eye alone."

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading I opened it and found a smaller letter inside it, marked "Private.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

handwritingnounUS /ˈhændraɪtɪŋ/

something written by hand

From this reading It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

hornnounUS /hɔːrn/

a noisemaker (as at parties or games) that makes a loud noise when you blow through it

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

HOW

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

From this reading HOW THE DOCTOR WROTE TO KITTY.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I opened it and found a smaller letter inside it, marked "Private.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

insideadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading I opened it and found a smaller letter inside it, marked "Private.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.

KITTYnounUS /ˈkɪti/

the combined stakes of the betters

From this reading HOW THE DOCTOR WROTE TO KITTY.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/

strongly marked; easily noticeable

From this reading I opened it and found a smaller letter inside it, marked "Private.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading For my niece's eye alone."

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

niece'snounUS /ˈniːsɪz/

possessive form of “niece” — a daughter of your brother or sister

From this reading For my niece's eye alone."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading I opened it and found a smaller letter inside it, marked "Private.

post-boy's

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

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

presentlyadverbUS /ˈprezəntli/

in the near future

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

PrivateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/

confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

From this reading I opened it and found a smaller letter inside it, marked "Private.

ranverbUS /ræn/

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.

sealedadjectiveUS /siːld/

established irrevocably

From this reading It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.

smalleradjectiveUS /ˈsmɔːlər/

small or little relative to something else

From this reading I opened it and found a smaller letter inside it, marked "Private.

summonsnounUS /ˈsʌmənz/

a request to be present

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading HOW THE DOCTOR WROTE TO KITTY.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading HOW THE DOCTOR WROTE TO KITTY.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.

waxverbUS /wæks/

cover with wax

From this reading It was addressed to me, in a large bold handwriting, and was sealed with red wax.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The next morning at dinner, we heard the summons of the post-boy's horn, and Cicely presently ran in with a letter in her hand.

WROTEverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading HOW THE DOCTOR WROTE TO KITTY.

Chapter 21 of The Chaplain of the Fleet by Walter Besant holds 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 21 of The Chaplain of the Fleet contain?

Chapter 21 holds 88 sentences of The Chaplain of the Fleet, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The Chaplain of the Fleet by Walter Besant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 21 of The Chaplain of the Fleet?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Chaplain of the Fleet

Common questions about reading The Chaplain of the Fleet by Walter Besant on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Chaplain of the Fleet?

Yes. All 7971 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45734 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Chaplain of the Fleet is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #45734, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Chaplain of the Fleet take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1595 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Chaplain of the Fleet section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Chaplain of the Fleet

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Chaplain of the Fleet, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Https
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Chaplain of the Fleet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Surely
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Chaplain of the Fleet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Contemplation
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Chaplain of the Fleet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Happy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Chaplain of the Fleet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.