Chapter 19 of The Undying Past is here in full — 420 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIX
Chapter 19 of The Undying Past is here in full — 420 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth. "It may surprise you, Herr Superintendent----" he began. "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you." "How? Expected me!" echoed Leo, astonished.
Chapter 19 of The Undying Past is here in full — 420 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading “Expected me!" echoed Leo, astonished.”
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading “"Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."”
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading “Expected me!" echoed Leo, astonished.”
feeling or showing gratitude
From this reading “He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.”
a German man; used before the name as a title equivalent to Mr in English
From this reading “"It may surprise you, Herr Superintendent----" he began.”
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Leo
From this reading “He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.”
a person who directs and manages an organization
From this reading “"It may surprise you, Herr Superintendent----" he began.”
the sensation caused by heat energy
From this reading “He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.”
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.
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.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading Expected me!" echoed Leo, astonished.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "It may surprise you, Herr Superintendent----" he began.
the two together, not just one
From this reading He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."
dearly loved
From this reading "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading Expected me!" echoed Leo, astonished.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."
feeling or showing gratitude
From this reading He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.
a German man; used before the name as a title equivalent to Mr in English
From this reading "It may surprise you, Herr Superintendent----" he began.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It may surprise you, Herr Superintendent----" he began.
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Leo
From this reading He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "It may surprise you, Herr Superintendent----" he began.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Expected me!" echoed Leo, astonished.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.
accept an excuse for
From this reading "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."
express in words
From this reading "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.
a person who directs and manages an organization
From this reading "It may surprise you, Herr Superintendent----" he began.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading "It may surprise you, Herr Superintendent----" he began.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Pardon, dear Herr von Sellenthin, on the contrary, I might almost say, with truth, that I expected you."
the sensation caused by heat energy
From this reading He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.
which person or people
From this reading He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He stretched out both his hands to Leo, who seized them with grateful warmth.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "It may surprise you, Herr Superintendent----" he began.
Chapter 19 of The Undying Past by Hermann Sudermann holds 420 sentences, grouped into 84 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.
Chapter 19 holds 420 sentences of The Undying Past, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 19 of The Undying Past by Hermann Sudermann exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 420 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 19 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 Undying Past by Hermann Sudermann on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 10467 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34156 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34156, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2094 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Undying Past section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Undying Past 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 Undying Past, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
