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The Price of Things
The Price of Things

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of The Price of Things is here in full — 208 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Price of Things
Context Illustration Reading 1/41 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Harietta Boleski was growing dissatisfied with her life.
England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.
She wanted to go to Paris.
The war altogether was a supreme bore and upset her plans!
She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.
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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 Price of Things

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of The Price of Things is here in full — 208 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Harietta Boleski was growing dissatisfied with her life.
Line 2
England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.
/ˈɪŋɡlənd wɑːz ʌv noʊ əˈmjuːzmənt tuː hɜːr ənd jet hɑːns ˌɪnˈsɪstəd əˈpɑːn hɜːr ˈsteɪɪŋ ɑːn/
Line 3
She wanted to go to Paris.
/ʃiː ˈwɔːntɪd tuː ɡoʊ tuː ˈperɪs/
Line 4
The war altogether was a supreme bore and upset her plans!
/ðə wɔːr ˌɔːltəˈɡeðər wɑːz ə səˈpriːm bɔːr ənd əpˈset hɜːr plænz/
Line 5
She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.
/ʃiː hæd bɪn soʊ səkˈsesfəl ɪn hɜːr ˈɑːbviəs ˈstuːpəd weɪ ðæt hɑːns hæd bɪn eˈneɪbəld tuː trænzˈmɪt ðə moʊst ˈjuːsfəl ˌɪnfərˈmeɪʃən tuː hɪz ˈkʌntri wɪtʃ hæd əˈsɪstɪd tuː fɔɪl mɔːr ðæn wʌn əˈlaɪd plæn/

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.

Allied adjective US /əˈlaɪd/

related by common characteristics or ancestry

From this reading “She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.”

assisted adjective US /əˈsɪstɪd/

having help; often used as a combining form

From this reading “She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.”

dissatisfied adjective US /dɪˈsætəsfaɪd/

in a state of sulky dissatisfaction

From this reading “Harietta Boleski was growing dissatisfied with her life.”

enabled verb US /eˈneɪbəld/

past form of “enable” — render capable or able for some task

From this reading “She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.”

foil verb US /fɔɪl/

enhance by contrast

From this reading “She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.”

Hans noun US /hɑːns/

plural of “han” — imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization

From this reading “England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.”

transmit verb US /trænzˈmɪt/

transfer to another

From this reading “She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.”

upset verb US /əpˈset/

disturb the balance or stability of

From this reading “The war altogether was a supreme bore and upset her plans!”

All words in this reading · 56

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The war altogether was a supreme bore and upset her plans!

AlliedadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪd/

related by common characteristics or ancestry

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

altogetheradverbUS /ˌɔːltəˈɡeðər/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading The war altogether was a supreme bore and upset her plans!

amusementnounUS /əˈmjuːzmənt/

a feeling of delight at being entertained

From this reading England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.

assistedadjectiveUS /əˈsɪstɪd/

having help; often used as a combining form

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

Boleski

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

From this reading Harietta Boleski was growing dissatisfied with her life.

boreverbUS /bɔːr/

cause to be bored

From this reading The war altogether was a supreme bore and upset her plans!

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

dissatisfiedadjectiveUS /dɪˈsætəsfaɪd/

in a state of sulky dissatisfaction

From this reading Harietta Boleski was growing dissatisfied with her life.

enabledverbUS /eˈneɪbəld/

past form of “enable” — render capable or able for some task

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.

foilverbUS /fɔɪl/

enhance by contrast

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading She wanted to go to Paris.

growingnounUS /ˈɡroʊɪŋ/

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading Harietta Boleski was growing dissatisfied with her life.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

HansnounUS /hɑːns/

plural of “han” — imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization

From this reading England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.

Harietta

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

From this reading Harietta Boleski was growing dissatisfied with her life.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Harietta Boleski was growing dissatisfied with her life.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

informationnounUS /ˌɪnfərˈmeɪʃən/

a message received and understood

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

insistedverbUS /ˌɪnˈsɪstəd/

past form of “insist” — be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge

From this reading England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Harietta Boleski was growing dissatisfied with her life.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.

obviousadjectiveUS /ˈɑːbviəs/

easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

ParisnounUS /ˈperɪs/

the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce

From this reading She wanted to go to Paris.

planverbUS /plæn/

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

plansnounUS /plænz/

plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished

From this reading The war altogether was a supreme bore and upset her plans!

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She wanted to go to Paris.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

stayingverbUS /ˈsteɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.

stupidadjectiveUS /ˈstuːpəd/

lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

successfuladjectiveUS /səkˈsesfəl/

having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

supremeadjectiveUS /səˈpriːm/

final or last in your life or progress

From this reading The war altogether was a supreme bore and upset her plans!

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The war altogether was a supreme bore and upset her plans!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.

transmitverbUS /trænzˈmɪt/

transfer to another

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.

upsetverbUS /əpˈset/

disturb the balance or stability of

From this reading The war altogether was a supreme bore and upset her plans!

usefuladjectiveUS /ˈjuːsfəl/

being of use or service

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading She wanted to go to Paris.

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading The war altogether was a supreme bore and upset her plans!

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Harietta Boleski was growing dissatisfied with her life.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading She had been so successful in her obvious stupid way that Hans had been enabled to transmit the most useful information to his country, which had assisted to foil more than one Allied plan.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Harietta Boleski was growing dissatisfied with her life.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading England was of no amusement to her, and yet Hans insisted upon her staying on.

Chapter 15 of The Price of Things by Elinor Glyn holds 208 sentences, grouped into 42 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 15 of The Price of Things contain?

Chapter 15 holds 208 sentences of The Price of Things, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Price of Things by Elinor Glyn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 208 sentences, grouped into 42 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 15 of The Price of Things?

Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Price of Things

Common questions about reading The Price of Things by Elinor Glyn on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Price of Things?

Yes. All 4427 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9809 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Price of Things is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #9809, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Price of Things take to read?

About 368 minutes of reading across 886 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Price of Things section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of The Price of Things 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 Price of Things

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Price of Things, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Consciously
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Price of Things; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Deliberately
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Price of Things; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Desires
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Price of Things; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Happiness
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Price of Things; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.