Chapter 24 of The Scarlet Letter is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIV
Chapter 24 of The Scarlet Letter is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips. “Is not this better,” murmured he, “than what we dreamed of in the forest?” “I know not! I know not!” she hurriedly replied. “Better?
Chapter 24 of The Scarlet Letter is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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.
(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic
From this reading “Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.”
past form of “betray” — reveal unintentionally
From this reading “Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.”
conceived of or imagined or hoped for
From this reading ““Is not this better,” murmured he, “than what we dreamed of in the forest?””
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading “Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.”
pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness
From this reading “Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.”
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading “I know not!” she hurriedly replied.”
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading ““Is not this better,” murmured he, “than what we dreamed of in the forest?””
past form of “tremble” — move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways
From this reading “Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
past form of “betray” — reveal unintentionally
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “Is not this better,” murmured he, “than what we dreamed of in the forest?”
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
conceived of or imagined or hoped for
From this reading “Is not this better,” murmured he, “than what we dreamed of in the forest?”
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading “Is not this better,” murmured he, “than what we dreamed of in the forest?”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading I know not!” she hurriedly replied.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I know not!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Is not this better,” murmured he, “than what we dreamed of in the forest?”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I know not!
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading “Is not this better,” murmured he, “than what we dreamed of in the forest?”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading I know not!” she hurriedly replied.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I know not!” she hurriedly replied.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “Is not this better,” murmured he, “than what we dreamed of in the forest?”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Is not this better,” murmured he, “than what we dreamed of in the forest?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
past form of “tremble” — move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “Is not this better,” murmured he, “than what we dreamed of in the forest?”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Is not this better,” murmured he, “than what we dreamed of in the forest?”
in the company of; together with
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet he trembled, and turned to Hester, with an expression of doubt and anxiety in his eyes, not the less evidently betrayed, that there was a feeble smile upon his lips.
Chapter 24 of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne holds 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 24 holds 139 sentences of The Scarlet Letter, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 24 of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 24 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 Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3286 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 273 minutes of reading across 658 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Scarlet Letter section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Scarlet Letter 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 Scarlet Letter, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
