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The Pursuit
The Pursuit

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The Pursuit is here in full — 253 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Pursuit
Context Illustration Reading 1/50 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!
These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.
Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.
The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.
An agony of apprehension seized upon her.
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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 Pursuit

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The Pursuit is here in full — 253 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!
Line 2
These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.
Line 3
Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.
/jet ðə wʌn ˌaʊtˈstændɪŋ ɪnˈɡroʊsɪŋ θɔːt wɑːz ðæt hɜːr ˈtʃæmpiən hæd ˈfɑːlən ɪn ðə ˈmoʊmənt ʌv ˈvɪktəri/
Line 4
The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.
/ðə blʌd wɑːz ˈfloʊɪŋ frʌm ə diːp kʌt ɑːn hɪz ˈfɔːrhed hiː wɑːz ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəs ðə ˈkʌlər hæd ˈebəd frʌm hɪz ˈveri lɪps/
Line 5
An agony of apprehension seized upon her.
/æn ˈæɡ.ə.ni ʌv ˌæprɪˈhenʃən siːzd əˈpɑːn hɜːr/

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.

champion noun US /ˈtʃæmpiən/

someone who has won first place in a competition

From this reading “Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.”

ebbed verb US /ˈebəd/

past form of “ebb” — flow back or recede

From this reading “The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.”

engrossing adjective US /ɪnˈɡroʊsɪŋ/

capable of arousing and holding the attention

From this reading “Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.”

outstanding adjective US /ˌaʊtˈstændɪŋ/

distinguished from others in excellence

From this reading “Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.”

possibilities noun US /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiz/

plural of “possibility” — a future prospect or potential

From this reading “These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.”

probabilities noun US /ˌprɑːbəˈbɪlətiːz/

plural of “probability” — a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; a number expressing the ratio of favorable cases to the whole number of cases possible

From this reading “These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.”

stays noun US /steɪz/

a woman's close-fitting foundation garment

From this reading “FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!”

undefined adjective US /ˌʌndɪˈfaɪnd/

not precisely limited, determined, or distinguished

From this reading “These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.”

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.

seized upon verb + particle counted as “seize upon”

In this reading “An agony of apprehension seized upon her.”

in the moment preposition + article + noun counted as “in … moment”

In this reading “Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.”

All words in this reading · 65

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 blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

agonynounUS /ˈæɡ.ə.ni/

Extreme physical or mental suffering; intense anguish.

From this reading An agony of apprehension seized upon her.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

AndeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading An agony of apprehension seized upon her.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!

apprehensionnounUS /ˌæprɪˈhenʃən/

fearful expectation or anticipation

From this reading An agony of apprehension seized upon her.

Arlen's

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

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

Aylmer

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

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

bentnounUS /bent/

a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

championnounUS /ˈtʃæmpiən/

someone who has won first place in a competition

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

Claire

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

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

colornounUS /ˈkʌlər/

a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect

From this reading The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

cutverbUS /kʌt/

separate with or as if with an instrument

From this reading The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

ebbedverbUS /ˈebəd/

past form of “ebb” — flow back or recede

From this reading The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

engrossingadjectiveUS /ɪnˈɡroʊsɪŋ/

capable of arousing and holding the attention

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

FATEnounUS /feɪt/

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!

flowingnounUS /ˈfloʊɪŋ/

the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)

From this reading The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

foreheadnounUS /ˈfɔːrhed/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

HANDnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

HERdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

intelligencenounUS /ˌɪnˈtelədʒəns/

the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

Landon

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

From this reading FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!

libertynounUS /ˈlɪb.ər.ti/

The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.

From this reading FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!

lipsnounUS /lɪps/

plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

From this reading The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

outstandingadjectiveUS /ˌaʊtˈstændɪŋ/

distinguished from others in excellence

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!

possibilitiesnounUS /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiz/

plural of “possibility” — a future prospect or potential

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

probabilitiesnounUS /ˌprɑːbəˈbɪlətiːz/

plural of “probability” — a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; a number expressing the ratio of favorable cases to the whole number of cases possible

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

RescueverbUS /ˈreskjuː/

free from harm or evil

From this reading FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!

seizedverbUS /siːzd/

past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab

From this reading An agony of apprehension seized upon her.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

STAYSnounUS /steɪz/

a woman's close-fitting foundation garment

From this reading FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

triumphnounUS /ˈtraɪəmf/

a successful ending of a struggle or contest

From this reading FATE STAYS HER HAND Rescue, liberty, and, not least, triumph over Landon!

unconsciousadjectiveUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəs/

not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead

From this reading The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

undefinedadjectiveUS /ˌʌndɪˈfaɪnd/

not precisely limited, determined, or distinguished

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading An agony of apprehension seized upon her.

VannounUS /væn/

any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The blood was flowing from a deep cut on his forehead; he was unconscious; the color had ebbed from his very lips.

victorynounUS /ˈvɪktəri/

a successful ending of a struggle or contest

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading These were all possibilities, even probabilities, clear to Claire Van Arlen's intelligence as she bent over Aylmer--clear, but undefined.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet the one outstanding, engrossing thought was that her champion had fallen in the moment of victory.

Chapter 21 of The Pursuit by Frank (Frank Mackenzie) Savile holds 253 sentences, grouped into 51 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 Pursuit contain?

Chapter 21 holds 253 sentences of The Pursuit, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The Pursuit by Frank (Frank Mackenzie) Savile exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 253 sentences, grouped into 51 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 Pursuit?

Work through the 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 51 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 Pursuit

Common questions about reading The Pursuit by Frank (Frank Mackenzie) Savile on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Pursuit?

Yes. All 6963 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34861 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Pursuit is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #34861, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Pursuit take to read?

About 580 minutes of reading across 1393 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Pursuit section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Pursuit 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 Pursuit

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

Muleteer's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Pursuit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shove
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Pursuit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Slight
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Pursuit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Significant
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Pursuit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.