Chapter 20 of The Rise of Silas Lapham is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The Rise of Silas Lapham is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her. Penelope's vehemence did not rouse her. She only shook her head absently, and said, "I don't know." "Why should Pen care what impression she made? I didn't suppose it would make any difference to her whether Mrs. Corey liked her or not."
Chapter 20 of The Rise of Silas Lapham is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
not characterized by emotion
From this reading “Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.”
the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading “I didn't suppose it would make any difference to her whether Mrs. Corey liked her or not."”
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading “"Why should Pen care what impression she made?”
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading “"Why should Pen care what impression she made?”
made less in size or amount or degree
From this reading “Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.”
become active
From this reading “Penelope's vehemence did not rouse her.”
a state of motor and mental inactivity with a partial suspension of sensibility
From this reading “Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.”
intensity or forcefulness of expression
From this reading “Penelope's vehemence did not rouse her.”
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.
in an absentminded or preoccupied manner
From this reading She only shook her head absently, and said, "I don't know."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She only shook her head absently, and said, "I don't know."
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading I didn't suppose it would make any difference to her whether Mrs. Corey liked her or not."
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading "Why should Pen care what impression she made?
not characterized by emotion
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I didn't suppose it would make any difference to her whether Mrs. Corey liked her or not."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Penelope's vehemence did not rouse her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I didn't suppose it would make any difference to her whether Mrs. Corey liked her or not."
the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading I didn't suppose it would make any difference to her whether Mrs. Corey liked her or not."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She only shook her head absently, and said, "I don't know."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading She only shook her head absently, and said, "I don't know."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading She only shook her head absently, and said, "I don't know."
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading "Why should Pen care what impression she made?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I didn't suppose it would make any difference to her whether Mrs. Corey liked her or not."
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading She only shook her head absently, and said, "I don't know."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading I didn't suppose it would make any difference to her whether Mrs. Corey liked her or not."
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading "Why should Pen care what impression she made?
engage in
From this reading I didn't suppose it would make any difference to her whether Mrs. Corey liked her or not."
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Penelope's vehemence did not rouse her.
and nothing more
From this reading She only shook her head absently, and said, "I don't know."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I didn't suppose it would make any difference to her whether Mrs. Corey liked her or not."
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading "Why should Pen care what impression she made?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Penelope's vehemence did not rouse her.
made less in size or amount or degree
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
become active
From this reading Penelope's vehemence did not rouse her.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading She only shook her head absently, and said, "I don't know."
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She only shook her head absently, and said, "I don't know."
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading She only shook her head absently, and said, "I don't know."
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "Why should Pen care what impression she made?
not in physical motion
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
express a supposition
From this reading I didn't suppose it would make any difference to her whether Mrs. Corey liked her or not."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
a state of motor and mental inactivity with a partial suspension of sensibility
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
intensity or forcefulness of expression
From this reading Penelope's vehemence did not rouse her.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Why should Pen care what impression she made?
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading I didn't suppose it would make any difference to her whether Mrs. Corey liked her or not."
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Lapham was still in the chilly torpor to which Mrs. Corey's call had reduced her.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why should Pen care what impression she made?
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I didn't suppose it would make any difference to her whether Mrs. Corey liked her or not."
Chapter 20 of The Rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells holds 204 sentences, grouped into 41 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.
Chapter 20 holds 204 sentences of The Rise of Silas Lapham, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The Rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 204 sentences, grouped into 41 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.
Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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.
Common questions about reading The Rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8158 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #154 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #154, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1632 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Rise of Silas Lapham section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Rise of Silas Lapham to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Rise of Silas Lapham, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
