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The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History
The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.
I did not venture to kiss them.
I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.
"Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."
"Sit down by me, Johannes," she said.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.
/ʃiː dɪd nɑːt raɪz tuː ɡriːt miː bʌt held aʊt boʊθ hændz ənd aɪ kʊd ˈoʊnli klæsp ənd hoʊld ðem ɪn ðə ˈʌtmoʊst ɪmˈberəsmənt/
Line 2
I did not venture to kiss them.
/aɪ dɪd nɑːt ˈventʃər tuː kɪs ðem/
Line 3
I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.
/aɪ hæd tuː ˈɔːfən siːn ðɪs ˈnaɪtli ˈɑːmədʒ peɪd baɪ ðə mæn huː hæd ˌɪnˈflɪktɪd ðə ˈkiːnəst ˈsʌfərɪŋ əˈpɑːn hɜːr hɑːrt ənd wʊd nɑːt riˈmaɪnd hɜːr ʌv ˈeni ˈbɪtər ɪkˈspɪriəns/
Line 4
"Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."
Line 5
"Sit down by me, Johannes," she said.

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.

clasp verb US /klæsp/

hold firmly and tightly

From this reading “She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.”

embarrassment noun US /ɪmˈberəsmənt/

the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public

From this reading “She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.”

Frau noun US /fraʊ/

a German courtesy title or form of address for an adult woman

From this reading “"Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."”

greet verb US /ɡriːt/

express greetings upon meeting someone

From this reading “She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.”

homage noun US /ˈɑːmədʒ/

respectful deference

From this reading “I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.”

inflicted verb US /ˌɪnˈflɪktɪd/

past form of “inflict” — impose something unpleasant

From this reading “I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.”

keenest adjective US /ˈkiːnəst/

superlative of “keen” — having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading “I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.”

knightly adjective US /ˈnaɪtli/

characteristic of the time of chivalry and knighthood in the Middle Ages

From this reading “I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.”

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.

Sit down verb + adjective

take a seat

In this reading “"Sit down by me, Johannes," she said.”

All words in this reading · 73

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

bitteradjectiveUS /ˈbɪtər/

marked by strong resentment or cynicism

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

claspverbUS /klæsp/

hold firmly and tightly

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading "Sit down by me, Johannes," she said.

embarrassmentnounUS /ɪmˈberəsmənt/

the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

experienceverbUS /ɪkˈspɪriəns/

undergo or live through a difficult experience

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

FraunounUS /fraʊ/

a German courtesy title or form of address for an adult woman

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

greetverbUS /ɡriːt/

express greetings upon meeting someone

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

holdverbUS /hoʊld/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

homagenounUS /ˈɑːmədʒ/

respectful deference

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

illadjectiveUS /ɪl/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

inflictedverbUS /ˌɪnˈflɪktɪd/

past form of “inflict” — impose something unpleasant

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

Johannes

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

From this reading "Sit down by me, Johannes," she said.

keenestadjectiveUS /ˈkiːnəst/

superlative of “keen” — having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

kissnounUS /kɪs/

the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)

From this reading I did not venture to kiss them.

knightlyadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪtli/

characteristic of the time of chivalry and knighthood in the Middle Ages

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

learnverbUS /lɜːrn/

gain knowledge or skills

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

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 "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

Luise

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

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

paidadjectiveUS /peɪd/

marked by the reception of pay

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/

the state of being present; current existence

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

remindverbUS /riˈmaɪnd/

put in the mind of someone

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

riseverbUS /raɪz/

move upward

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

SitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading "Sit down by me, Johannes," she said.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

sufferingnounUS /ˈsʌfərɪŋ/

a state of acute pain

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

to-day

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

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

utmostadjectiveUS /ˈʌtmoʊst/

of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity

From this reading She did not rise to greet me, but held out both hands, and I could only clasp and hold them in the utmost embarrassment.

venturenounUS /ˈventʃər/

any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome

From this reading I did not venture to kiss them.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading I had too often seen this knightly homage paid by the man who had inflicted the keenest suffering upon her heart, and would not remind her of any bitter experience.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Frau Luise," I said, "it is really you--you have not changed in the least--I am so happy to see you again--and you were ill and I only learn your presence here to-day."

Chapter 8 of The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History by Paul Heyse holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 8 of The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History contain?

Chapter 8 holds 411 sentences of The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History by Paul Heyse exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 8 of The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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.

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Common questions about reading The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History by Paul Heyse on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 3673 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33879 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #33879, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 306 minutes of reading across 735 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Canoness
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Heyse
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Paradise
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Romance of the Canoness: A Life-History; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.