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The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative
The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative is here in full — 238 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative
Context Illustration Reading 1/47 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.
She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.
The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.
"My dear, I am very unhappy!" said Clara.
"My dear, I bring you news," Laetitia replied.
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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 Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative is here in full — 238 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/47 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.
Line 2
She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.
Line 3
The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.
Line 4
"My dear, I am very unhappy!" said Clara.
Line 5
"My dear, I bring you news," Laetitia replied.

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.

bathers noun US /ˈbeɪðərz/

plural of “bather” — a person who travels through the water by swimming

From this reading “The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.”

colloquy noun US /ˈkɑːləkwi/

a conversation especially a formal one

From this reading “She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.”

discovers verb US /dɪˈskʌvərz/

third-person singular of “discover” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

From this reading “LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.”

flicking verb US /ˈflɪkɪŋ/

-ing form of “flick” — flash intermittently

From this reading “The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.”

greet verb US /ɡriːt/

express greetings upon meeting someone

From this reading “LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.”

middleton noun US /ˈmɪdəltən/

English playwright and pamphleteer (1570-1627)

From this reading “LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.”

towel noun US /ˈtaʊəl/

a rectangular piece of absorbent cloth (or paper) for drying or wiping

From this reading “The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.”

tripped verb US /trɪpt/

inflected form of “trip” — miss a step and fall or nearly fall

From this reading “LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "My dear, I am very unhappy!" said Clara.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.

bathersnounUS /ˈbeɪðərz/

plural of “bather” — a person who travels through the water by swimming

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading "My dear, I bring you news," Laetitia replied.

brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.

capering

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

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

CHANGEverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

circus-driver

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

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

Clara

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

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

colloquynounUS /ˈkɑːləkwi/

a conversation especially a formal one

From this reading She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.

ColonelnounUS /ˈkɜːrnəl/

a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general

From this reading She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.

Craye

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

From this reading She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.

Crossjay

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

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

DALEnounUS /deɪl/

an open river valley (in a hilly area)

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

DenounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading "My dear, I am very unhappy!" said Clara.

DISCOVERSverbUS /dɪˈskʌvərz/

third-person singular of “discover” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

DR

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

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

flickingverbUS /ˈflɪkɪŋ/

-ing form of “flick” — flash intermittently

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.

greetverbUS /ɡriːt/

express greetings upon meeting someone

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "My dear, I am very unhappy!" said Clara.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

LAETITIA

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

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

lawnnounUS /lɔːn/

a field of cultivated and mowed grass

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

MIDDLETONnounUS /ˈmɪdəltən/

English playwright and pamphleteer (1570-1627)

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "My dear, I am very unhappy!" said Clara.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading "My dear, I bring you news," Laetitia replied.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

PHYSICALadjectiveUS /ˈfɪzɪkəl/

involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "My dear, I bring you news," Laetitia replied.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "My dear, I am very unhappy!" said Clara.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.

SPIRITUALadjectiveUS /ˈspɪrɪtʃuːəl/

concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

towelnounUS /ˈtaʊəl/

a rectangular piece of absorbent cloth (or paper) for drying or wiping

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

trippedverbUS /trɪpt/

inflected form of “trip” — miss a step and fall or nearly fall

From this reading LAETITIA DALE DISCOVERS A SPIRITUAL CHANGE AND DR MIDDLETON A PHYSICAL Clara tripped over the lawn in the early morning to Laetitia to greet her.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.

unhappyadjectiveUS /ənˈhæpi/

experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent

From this reading "My dear, I am very unhappy!" said Clara.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading "My dear, I am very unhappy!" said Clara.

wetadjectiveUS /wet/

covered or soaked with a liquid such as water

From this reading The colonel had been one of the bathers, and he stood like a circus-driver flicking a wet towel at Crossjay capering.

Willoughby's

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

From this reading She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.

windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading She broke away from a colloquy with Colonel De Craye under Sir Willoughby's windows.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "My dear, I bring you news," Laetitia replied.

Chapter 26 of The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative by George Meredith holds 238 sentences, grouped into 48 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 Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative contain?

Chapter 26 holds 238 sentences of The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 26 of The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative by George Meredith exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 238 sentences, grouped into 48 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 Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative?

Work through the 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 48 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 Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative

Common questions about reading The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative by George Meredith on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative?

Yes. All 13312 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1684 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1684, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2663 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative section by section

How to work through The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative 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 Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Ominously
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Anxious
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Watch
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Visible
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.