Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Debtor: A Novel
The Debtor: A Novel

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The Debtor: A Novel is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Debtor: A Novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.
There were not many issued.
When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.
"Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.
"There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Debtor: A Novel

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The Debtor: A Novel is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.
Line 2
There were not many issued.
/ðer wɜːr nɑːt ˈmeni ˈɪʃuːd/
Line 3
When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.
/wen ɪt keɪm tuː ˈmeɪkɪŋ aʊt ðə lɪst ðə ˈnʌmbər ʌv ˈpɜːrsənz huː frʌm wʌt ðə ˈfæməli kənˈsɪdərd æz ə ˈriːzənəbəl pɔɪnt ʌv vjuː wɜːr ˈpɑːsəbəl wɑːz ɪkˈsiːdɪŋli smɔːl/
Line 4
"Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.
Line 5
"There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.

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.

acquiesce verb US /ˌækwiˈes/

to agree or express agreement

From this reading “"Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.”

Carroll noun US /ˈkærəl/

English author; Charles Dodgson was an Oxford don of mathematics who is remembered for the children's stories he wrote under the pen name Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

From this reading “There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.”

Carroll's noun US /ˈkærəlz/

possessive form of “carroll” — English author; Charles Dodgson was an Oxford don of mathematics who is remembered for the children's stories he wrote under the pen name Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

From this reading “There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.”

Charlotte noun US /ˈʃɑːrlət/

the largest city in North Carolina; located in south central North Carolina

From this reading “"There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.”

exceedingly adverb US /ɪkˈsiːdɪŋli/

to an extreme degree

From this reading “When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.”

issued verb US /ˈɪʃuːd/

past form of “issue” — prepare and issue for public distribution or sale

From this reading “There were not many issued.”

possibility noun US /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiː/

a future prospect or potential

From this reading “"Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.”

reasonable adjective US /ˈriːzənəbəl/

showing reason or sound judgment

From this reading “When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.”

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 There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

acquiesceverbUS /ˌækwiˈes/

to agree or express agreement

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

askverbUS /æsk/

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

Banbridge

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

From this reading There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

cannot

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

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

CarrollnounUS /ˈkærəl/

English author; Charles Dodgson was an Oxford don of mathematics who is remembered for the children's stories he wrote under the pen name Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

Carroll'snounUS /ˈkærəlz/

possessive form of “carroll” — English author; Charles Dodgson was an Oxford don of mathematics who is remembered for the children's stories he wrote under the pen name Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

From this reading There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

CharlottenounUS /ˈʃɑːrlət/

the largest city in North Carolina; located in south central North Carolina

From this reading "There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.

consideredadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪdərd/

carefully weighed

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

dealverbUS /diːl/

act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

else

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

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading "There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.

exceedinglyadverbUS /ɪkˈsiːdɪŋli/

to an extreme degree

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

goesnounUS /ɡoʊz/

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading "There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

Ina

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

From this reading There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

issuedverbUS /ˈɪʃuːd/

past form of “issue” — prepare and issue for public distribution or sale

From this reading There were not many issued.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

listverbUS /lɪst/

give or make a list of; name individually; give the names of

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading There were not many issued.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading "There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading There were not many issued.

numbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

others

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

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

papanounUS /ˈpɑːpʌ/

an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk

From this reading "There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.

personsnounUS /ˈpɜːrsənz/

plural of “person” — a human being

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

possibilitynounUS /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiː/

a future prospect or potential

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

reasonableadjectiveUS /ˈriːzənəbəl/

showing reason or sound judgment

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

simplyadverbUS /ˈsɪmpli/

and nothing more

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

talkverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

There's

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

From this reading "There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

trainverbUS /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading "There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.

viewnounUS /vjuː/

a way of regarding situations or topics etc.

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

wedding-invitations

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

From this reading There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading There was a good deal of talk in Banbridge when Ina Carroll's wedding-invitations were out.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading When it came to making out the list, the number of persons who, from what the family considered as a reasonable point of view, were possible, was exceedingly small.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading "Of course we cannot ask such and such a one," Mrs. Carroll would say, and the others would acquiesce simply, with no thought of the possibility of anything else.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading "There's that young man who goes on the train every morning with papa," said Charlotte.

Chapter 16 of The Debtor: A Novel by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman holds 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 16 of The Debtor: A Novel contain?

Chapter 16 holds 199 sentences of The Debtor: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of The Debtor: A Novel by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 16 of The Debtor: A Novel?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Debtor: A Novel

Common questions about reading The Debtor: A Novel by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Debtor: A Novel?

Yes. All 11007 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17793 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Debtor: A Novel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #17793, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Debtor: A Novel take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2202 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Debtor: A Novel section by section

How to work through The Debtor: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Debtor: A Novel to begin.

  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 Debtor: A Novel

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Debtor: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Banbridge
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Debtor: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Enough
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Debtor: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Debtor: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Perceive
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Debtor: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.