Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Girls of Hillcrest Farm
The Girls of Hillcrest Farm

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of The Girls of Hillcrest Farm is here in full — 84 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Girls of Hillcrest Farm
Context Illustration Reading 1/16 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.
Both Lyddy and 'Phemie were unwilling to meet the professor under these conditions.
They were back at the strawberry patch before either of them spoke aloud.
"What _do_ you suppose he was about?" whispered 'Phemie.
"How do I know?
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 Girls of Hillcrest Farm

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of The Girls of Hillcrest Farm is here in full — 84 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.
Line 2
Both Lyddy and 'Phemie were unwilling to meet the professor under these conditions.
Line 3
They were back at the strawberry patch before either of them spoke aloud.
/ðeɪ wɜːr bæk æt ðə ˈstrɔːberi pætʃ bɪˈfɔːr ˈiːðər ʌv ðem spoʊk əˈlaʊd/
Line 4
"What _do_ you suppose he was about?" whispered 'Phemie.
Line 5
"How do I know?

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.

aloud adverb US /əˈlaʊd/

using the voice; not silently

From this reading “They were back at the strawberry patch before either of them spoke aloud.”

bushes noun US /ˈbʊʃəz/

plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading “IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.”

conditions noun US /kənˈdɪʃənz/

the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process

From this reading “Both Lyddy and 'Phemie were unwilling to meet the professor under these conditions.”

doctor's noun US /ˈdɑːktərz/

possessive form of “doctor” — a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading “IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.”

patch noun US /pætʃ/

a small contrasting part of something

From this reading “They were back at the strawberry patch before either of them spoke aloud.”

shrink verb US /ʃrɪŋk/

wither, as with a loss of moisture

From this reading “IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.”

strawberry noun US /ˈstrɔːberi/

sweet fleshy red fruit

From this reading “They were back at the strawberry patch before either of them spoke aloud.”

unwilling adjective US /ənˈwɪlɪŋ/

not disposed or inclined toward

From this reading “Both Lyddy and 'Phemie were unwilling to meet the professor under these conditions.”

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.

at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.”

shrink away verb + particle

In this reading “IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.”

without a word preposition + article + noun counted as “without … word”

In this reading “IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.”

passed between verb + particle counted as “pass between”

In this reading “IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.”

through the bushes preposition + article + noun counted as “through … bush”

In this reading “IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.”

two girls noun + noun counted as “two girl”

In this reading “IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.”

OLD DOCTOR'S adjective + noun counted as “old doctor”

In this reading “IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.”

All words in this reading · 58

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 IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "What _do_ you suppose he was about?" whispered 'Phemie.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

aloudadverbUS /əˈlaʊd/

using the voice; not silently

From this reading They were back at the strawberry patch before either of them spoke aloud.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading They were back at the strawberry patch before either of them spoke aloud.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading They were back at the strawberry patch before either of them spoke aloud.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

BothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading Both Lyddy and 'Phemie were unwilling to meet the professor under these conditions.

bushesnounUS /ˈbʊʃəz/

plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

conditionsnounUS /kənˈdɪʃənz/

the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process

From this reading Both Lyddy and 'Phemie were unwilling to meet the professor under these conditions.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "What _do_ you suppose he was about?" whispered 'Phemie.

DOCTOR'SnounUS /ˈdɑːktərz/

possessive form of “doctor” — a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading They were back at the strawberry patch before either of them spoke aloud.

girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "What _do_ you suppose he was about?" whispered 'Phemie.

How

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

From this reading "How do I know?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "How do I know?

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "How do I know?

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

Lyddy

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

From this reading Both Lyddy and 'Phemie were unwilling to meet the professor under these conditions.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading Both Lyddy and 'Phemie were unwilling to meet the professor under these conditions.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They were back at the strawberry patch before either of them spoke aloud.

OFFICEnounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

OLDadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

patchnounUS /pætʃ/

a small contrasting part of something

From this reading They were back at the strawberry patch before either of them spoke aloud.

Phemie

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

From this reading Both Lyddy and 'Phemie were unwilling to meet the professor under these conditions.

professornounUS /prəˈfesər/

someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university

From this reading Both Lyddy and 'Phemie were unwilling to meet the professor under these conditions.

shrinkverbUS /ʃrɪŋk/

wither, as with a loss of moisture

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading They were back at the strawberry patch before either of them spoke aloud.

strawberrynounUS /ˈstrɔːberi/

sweet fleshy red fruit

From this reading They were back at the strawberry patch before either of them spoke aloud.

supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading "What _do_ you suppose he was about?" whispered 'Phemie.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading Both Lyddy and 'Phemie were unwilling to meet the professor under these conditions.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They were back at the strawberry patch before either of them spoke aloud.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Both Lyddy and 'Phemie were unwilling to meet the professor under these conditions.

unwillingadjectiveUS /ənˈwɪlɪŋ/

not disposed or inclined toward

From this reading Both Lyddy and 'Phemie were unwilling to meet the professor under these conditions.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "What _do_ you suppose he was about?" whispered 'Phemie.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Both Lyddy and 'Phemie were unwilling to meet the professor under these conditions.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What _do_ you suppose he was about?" whispered 'Phemie.

whisperedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪspərd/

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

From this reading "What _do_ you suppose he was about?" whispered 'Phemie.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading IN THE OLD DOCTOR'S OFFICE The two girls, almost at once, began to shrink away through the bushes again--and this without a word or look having passed between them.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "What _do_ you suppose he was about?" whispered 'Phemie.

Chapter 25 of The Girls of Hillcrest Farm by Amy Bell Marlowe holds 84 sentences, grouped into 17 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 25 of The Girls of Hillcrest Farm contain?

Chapter 25 holds 84 sentences of The Girls of Hillcrest Farm, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 25 of The Girls of Hillcrest Farm by Amy Bell Marlowe exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 84 sentences, grouped into 17 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 25 of The Girls of Hillcrest Farm?

Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 17 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 25 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 25 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 Girls of Hillcrest Farm

Common questions about reading The Girls of Hillcrest Farm by Amy Bell Marlowe on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Girls of Hillcrest Farm?

Yes. All 4205 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32401 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Girls of Hillcrest Farm is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32401, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Girls of Hillcrest Farm take to read?

About 350 minutes of reading across 841 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Girls of Hillcrest Farm section by section

How to work through The Girls of Hillcrest Farm section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of The Girls of Hillcrest Farm 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 Girls of Hillcrest Farm

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Girls of Hillcrest Farm, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Girls of Hillcrest Farm; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Oldest
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Girls of Hillcrest Farm; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Girls of Hillcrest Farm; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nobody
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Girls of Hillcrest Farm; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.