The Secret of Charlotte Brontë

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Secret of Charlotte Brontë is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Frederika Macdonald • Curated US English Learning Edition

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Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

London: T.C.

& E.C. Jack 67 Long Acre, W.C. and Edinburgh 'And now I will rehearse the tale of Love, which I heard from Diotima of Mantineia, a woman wise in this, and many other kinds of knowledge....

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Secret of Charlotte Brontë

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Secret of Charlotte Brontë is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

Line 2

Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

Line 3

London: T.C.

Line 4

& E.C. Jack 67 Long Acre, W.C. and Edinburgh 'And now I will rehearse the tale of Love, which I heard from Diotima of Mantineia, a woman wise in this, and many other kinds of knowledge....

Line 5

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.

Acre noun US /ˈeɪkər/

a unit of area (4840 square yards) used in English-speaking countries

From this reading “& E.C. Jack 67 Long Acre, W.C. and Edinburgh 'And now I will rehearse the tale of Love, which I heard from Diotima of Mantineia, a woman wise in this, and many other kinds of knowledge....”

Edinburgh noun US /ˈedənbəroʊ/

the capital of Scotland; located in the Lothian Region on the south side of the Firth of Forth

Humane adjective US /hjuːˈmeɪn/

pertaining to or concerned with the humanities

From this reading “Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.”

Iliad noun US /ˈɪliəd/

a Greek epic poem (attributed to Homer) describing the siege of Troy

From this reading “Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.”

rehearse verb US /riˈhɜːrs/

engage in a rehearsal

Reminiscences noun US /ˌreməˈnɪsənsɪz/

plural of “reminiscence” — a mental impression retained and recalled from the past

From this reading “Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.”

Rousseau noun US /ruːˈsoʊ/

French philosopher and writer born in Switzerland; believed that the natural goodness of man was warped by society; ideas influenced the French Revolution (1712-1778)

From this reading “Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.”

Xavier noun US /ˈzeɪvjər/

Spanish missionary and Jesuit who establish missionaries in Japan and Ceylon and the East Indies (1506-1552)

From this reading “Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.”

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.

Followed by verb + particle counted as “follow by”

In this reading “Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.”

All words in this reading · 58

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.

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

From this reading & E.C. Jack 67 Long Acre, W.C. and Edinburgh 'And now I will rehearse the tale of Love, which I heard from Diotima of Mantineia, a woman wise in this, and many other kinds of knowledge....

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

AcrenounUS /ˈeɪkər/

a unit of area (4840 square yards) used in English-speaking countries

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

Authoressnoun

a woman author

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading London: T.C.

CriticismnounUS /ˈkrɪtɪsɪzəm/

disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

Diotima

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

EnounUS /iː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body

EastnounUS /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

EdinburghnounUS /ˈedənbəroʊ/

the capital of Scotland; located in the Lothian Region on the south side of the Firth of Forth

etc

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

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

FlowernounUS /ˈflaʊər/

a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

FollowedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

FREDERIKA

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

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

Heger

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

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

HumaneadjectiveUS /hjuːˈmeɪn/

pertaining to or concerned with the humanities

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

IliadnounUS /ˈɪliəd/

a Greek epic poem (attributed to Homer) describing the siege of Troy

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

JnounUS /dʒeɪ/

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

kindsnounUS /kaɪndz/

plural of “kind” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

knowledgenounUS /ˈnɑːlədʒ/

the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

LITT

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

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading London: T.C.

LongadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

LovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

MACDONALD

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

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

MadamenounUS /ˈmædəm/

title used for a married Frenchwoman

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

Mantineianoun

the site of three famous battles among Greek city-states: in 418 BC and 362 BC and 207 BC

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

MonsieurnounUS /məˈsjɜːr/

used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

PhilosophynounUS /fɪˈlɑː.sə.fi/

The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. (Triết học, đạo lý nhân sinh.)

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

RealadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

rehearseverbUS /riˈhɜːrs/

engage in a rehearsal

ReminiscencesnounUS /ˌreməˈnɪsənsɪz/

plural of “reminiscence” — a mental impression retained and recalled from the past

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

RousseaunounUS /ruːˈsoʊ/

French philosopher and writer born in Switzerland; believed that the natural goodness of man was warped by society; ideas influenced the French Revolution (1712-1778)

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

SomeadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

SpiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/

the vital principle or animating force within living things

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

TnounUS /tiː/

a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading London: T.C.

talenounUS /teɪl/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

wiseadjectiveUS /waɪz/

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

XaviernounUS /ˈzeɪvjər/

Spanish missionary and Jesuit who establish missionaries in Japan and Ceylon and the East Indies (1506-1552)

From this reading Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc.

Chapter 1 of The Secret of Charlotte Brontë by Frederika Macdonald holds 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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 1 of The Secret of Charlotte Brontë contain?

Chapter 1 holds 97 sentences of The Secret of Charlotte Brontë, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Secret of Charlotte Brontë by Frederika Macdonald exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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 1 of The Secret of Charlotte Brontë?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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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Is this the complete text of The Secret of Charlotte Brontë?

Yes. All 1527 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41105 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #41105, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Secret of Charlotte Brontë take to read?

About 127 minutes of reading across 306 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Secret of Charlotte Brontë

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Secret of Charlotte Brontë, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Followed: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Charlotte Brontë; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reminiscences: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Charlotte Brontë; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Monsieur: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Charlotte Brontë; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Madame: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Charlotte Brontë; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I

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