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The Confession of a Child of the Century
The Confession of a Child of the Century

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of The Confession of a Child of the Century is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
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THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.
Three weeks later my mission had been accomplished and I returned.
While absent, I had thought of nothing but her, and I despaired of ever forgetting her.
Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.
My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Confession of a Child of the Century

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of The Confession of a Child of the Century is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.
Line 2
Three weeks later my mission had been accomplished and I returned.
/θriː wiːks ˈleɪtər maɪ ˈmɪʃən hæd bɪn əˈkɑːmplɪʃt ənd aɪ rɪˈtɜːrnd/
Line 3
While absent, I had thought of nothing but her, and I despaired of ever forgetting her.
/waɪl ˈæbsənt aɪ hæd θɔːt ʌv ˈnʌθɪŋ bʌt hɜːr ənd aɪ dɪˈsperd ʌv ˈevər fərˈɡetɪŋ hɜːr/
Line 4
Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.
/ˌnevərðəˈles aɪ dɪˈtɜːrmənd tuː riˈstreɪn maɪ ˈfiːlɪŋz ɪn hɜːr ˈprezəns aɪ hæd ˈsʌfərd tuː ˈkruːli æt ðə ˈprɑːspekt ʌv ˈluːzɪŋ hɜːr tuː rʌn ˈeni ˈfɜːrðər rɪsks/
Line 5
My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.
/maɪ əˈstiːm fɔːr hɜːr ˈrendərd ɪt ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl fɔːr miː tuː səˈspekt hɜːr sɪnˈserəti ənd aɪ dɪd nɑːt siː ɪn hɜːr plæn fɔːr ˈɡetɪŋ miː tuː liːv ðə ˈkʌntri ˈeniθɪŋ ðæt rɪˈzembəld hɪˈpɑːkrəsi/

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.

cruelly adverb US /ˈkruːli/

excessively

From this reading “Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.”

despaired verb US /dɪˈsperd/

past form of “despair” — abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart

From this reading “While absent, I had thought of nothing but her, and I despaired of ever forgetting her.”

forgetting verb US /fərˈɡetɪŋ/

inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading “While absent, I had thought of nothing but her, and I despaired of ever forgetting her.”

hypocrisy noun US /hɪˈpɑːkrəsi/

an expression of agreement that is not supported by real conviction

From this reading “My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.”

resembled verb US /rɪˈzembəld/

past form of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to

From this reading “My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.”

restrain verb US /riˈstreɪn/

to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement

From this reading “Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.”

risks noun US /rɪsks/

plural of “risk” — a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune

From this reading “Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.”

sincerity noun US /sɪnˈserəti/

an earnest and sincere feeling

From this reading “My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.”

All words in this reading · 70

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 THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

absentadjectiveUS /ˈæbsənt/

not being in a specified place

From this reading While absent, I had thought of nothing but her, and I despaired of ever forgetting her.

accomplishedadjectiveUS /əˈkɑːmplɪʃt/

highly skilled

From this reading Three weeks later my mission had been accomplished and I returned.

addressedadjectiveUS /əˈdrest/

(of mail) marked with a destination

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Three weeks later my mission had been accomplished and I returned.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Three weeks later my mission had been accomplished and I returned.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading While absent, I had thought of nothing but her, and I despaired of ever forgetting her.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

cruellyadverbUS /ˈkruːli/

excessively

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

despairedverbUS /dɪˈsperd/

past form of “despair” — abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart

From this reading While absent, I had thought of nothing but her, and I despaired of ever forgetting her.

determinedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtɜːrmənd/

characterized by great determination

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

esteemnounUS /əˈstiːm/

the condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or well regarded)

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading While absent, I had thought of nothing but her, and I despaired of ever forgetting her.

feelingsnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋz/

emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

forgettingverbUS /fərˈɡetɪŋ/

inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading While absent, I had thought of nothing but her, and I despaired of ever forgetting her.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Three weeks later my mission had been accomplished and I returned.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading While absent, I had thought of nothing but her, and I despaired of ever forgetting her.

hypocrisynounUS /hɪˈpɑːkrəsi/

an expression of agreement that is not supported by real conviction

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

impossibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/

not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading Three weeks later my mission had been accomplished and I returned.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

losingverbUS /ˈluːzɪŋ/

-ing form of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

MnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

MadamenounUS /ˈmædəm/

title used for a married Frenchwoman

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

missionnounUS /ˈmɪʃən/

an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work

From this reading Three weeks later my mission had been accomplished and I returned.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Three weeks later my mission had been accomplished and I returned.

NeverthelessadverbUS /ˌnevərðəˈles/

in spite of what has just been said

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading While absent, I had thought of nothing but her, and I despaired of ever forgetting her.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading While absent, I had thought of nothing but her, and I despaired of ever forgetting her.

Pierson

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

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

planverbUS /plæn/

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/

the state of being present; current existence

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

prospectnounUS /ˈprɑːspekt/

the possibility of future success

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

RnounUS /ɑːr/

a unit of radiation exposure; the dose of ionizing radiation that will produce 1 electrostatic unit of electricity in 1 cc of dry air

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

renderedverbUS /ˈrendərd/

past form of “render” — cause to become

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

resembledverbUS /rɪˈzembəld/

past form of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

restrainverbUS /riˈstreɪn/

to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading Three weeks later my mission had been accomplished and I returned.

risksnounUS /rɪsks/

plural of “risk” — a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

sinceritynounUS /sɪnˈserəti/

an earnest and sincere feeling

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

Strasburg

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

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

sufferedverbUS /ˈsʌfərd/

past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

suspectverbUS /səˈspekt/

imagine to be the case or true or probable

From this reading My esteem for her rendered it impossible for me to suspect her sincerity, and I did not see, in her plan for getting me to leave the country, anything that resembled hypocrisy.

THATconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading While absent, I had thought of nothing but her, and I despaired of ever forgetting her.

ThreenounUS /θriː/

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

From this reading Three weeks later my mission had been accomplished and I returned.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THAT evening I received a letter from Madame Pierson, addressed to M. R. D., at Strasburg.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Nevertheless, I determined to restrain my feelings in her presence; I had suffered too cruelly at the prospect of losing her, to run any further risks.

weeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Three weeks later my mission had been accomplished and I returned.

WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading While absent, I had thought of nothing but her, and I despaired of ever forgetting her.

Chapter 21 of The Confession of a Child of the Century by Alfred de Musset holds 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 Confession of a Child of the Century contain?

Chapter 21 holds 153 sentences of The Confession of a Child of the Century, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The Confession of a Child of the Century by Alfred de Musset exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 Confession of a Child of the Century?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 Confession of a Child of the Century

Common questions about reading The Confession of a Child of the Century by Alfred de Musset on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 4019 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9869 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #9869, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 334 minutes of reading across 804 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Confession of a Child of the Century

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Confession of a Child of the Century, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Explain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Confession of a Child of the Century; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Confession of a Child of the Century; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Taken
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Confession of a Child of the Century; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Malady
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Confession of a Child of the Century; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.