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The Unwilling Vestal
The Unwilling Vestal

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Unwilling Vestal is here in full — 242 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Unwilling Vestal
Context Illustration Reading 1/48 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.
Her feverish activity abated and vanished.
She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.
She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.
She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Unwilling Vestal

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Unwilling Vestal is here in full — 242 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/48 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.
Line 2
Her feverish activity abated and vanished.
/hɜːr ˈfiːvərɪʃ ækˈtɪvəti əˈbeɪtɪd ənd ˈvænɪʃt/
Line 3
She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.
Line 4
She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.
/ʃiː tʊk hɜːr ˈaʊtɪŋz fɔːr ðer oʊn seɪk nɑːt ˈmɪrli tuː fiːl hərˈself trænˈspɔːrtɪd ˈræpədli frʌm ˈsʌmwer tuː ˈeniwer/
Line 5
She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.

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.

abated verb US /əˈbeɪtɪd/

past form of “abate” — make less active or intense

From this reading “Her feverish activity abated and vanished.”

bailiffs noun US /ˈbeɪləfs/

plural of “bailiff” — an officer of the court who is employed to execute writs and processes and make arrests etc.

From this reading “She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.”

calmed verb US /kɑːmd/

past form of “calm” — make calm or still

From this reading “AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.”

outings noun US /ˈaʊtɪŋz/

plural of “outing” — a journey taken for pleasure

From this reading “She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.”

oversight noun US /ˈoʊvərsaɪt/

an unintentional omission resulting from failure to notice something

From this reading “She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.”

redemption noun US /rɪˈdempʃən/

(theology) the act of delivering from sin or saving from evil

From this reading “AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.”

Syria noun US /ˈsɪriə/

an Asian republic in the Middle East at the east end of the Mediterranean; site of some of the world's most ancient centers of civilization

From this reading “AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.”

transported verb US /trænˈspɔːrtɪd/

past form of “transport” — move something or somebody around; usually over long distances

From this reading “She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.”

All words in this reading · 54

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.

abatedverbUS /əˈbeɪtɪd/

past form of “abate” — make less active or intense

From this reading Her feverish activity abated and vanished.

activitynounUS /ækˈtɪvəti/

any specific behavior

From this reading Her feverish activity abated and vanished.

AFTERprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.

Almo's

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

From this reading AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.

anywhereadverbUS /ˈeniwer/

at or in or to any place

From this reading She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.

bailiffsnounUS /ˈbeɪləfs/

plural of “bailiff” — an officer of the court who is employed to execute writs and processes and make arrests etc.

From this reading She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.

Brinnaria

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

From this reading AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.

calmedverbUS /kɑːmd/

past form of “calm” — make calm or still

From this reading AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.

carriage-teams

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

From this reading She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.

ceasedverbUS /siːst/

past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity

From this reading She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.

departurenounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

the act of departing

From this reading AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.

entirelyadverbUS /ɪnˈtaɪərli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.

feverishadjectiveUS /ˈfiːvərɪʃ/

marked by intense agitation or emotion

From this reading Her feverish activity abated and vanished.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Her feverish activity abated and vanished.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.

litter-bearers

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

From this reading She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.

managementnounUS /ˈmænədʒmənt/

the act of managing something

From this reading She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.

merelyadverbUS /ˈmɪrli/

and nothing more

From this reading She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.

outingsnounUS /ˈaʊtɪŋz/

plural of “outing” — a journey taken for pleasure

From this reading She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.

oversightnounUS /ˈoʊvərsaɪt/

an unintentional omission resulting from failure to notice something

From this reading She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.

rapidlyadverbUS /ˈræpədli/

with speed

From this reading She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.

redemptionnounUS /rɪˈdempʃən/

(theology) the act of delivering from sin or saving from evil

From this reading AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.

sakenounUS /seɪk/

a reason for wanting something done

From this reading She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.

somewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.

speedverbUS /spiːd/

move hurridly

From this reading She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.

stock-farms

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

From this reading She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.

SyrianounUS /ˈsɪriə/

an Asian republic in the Middle East at the east end of the Mediterranean; site of some of the world's most ancient centers of civilization

From this reading AFTER Almo’s redemption and his departure for Syria Brinnaria calmed down.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading She kept an oversight of her stock-farms, but she left the management of them almost entirely to her bailiffs.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She ceased to take any interest in the speed of her litter-bearers or of her carriage-teams.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.

transportedverbUS /trænˈspɔːrtɪd/

past form of “transport” — move something or somebody around; usually over long distances

From this reading She took her outings for their own sake, not merely to feel herself transported rapidly from somewhere to anywhere.

vanishedadjectiveUS /ˈvænɪʃt/

having passed out of existence

From this reading Her feverish activity abated and vanished.

Chapter 20 of The Unwilling Vestal by Edward Lucas White holds 242 sentences, grouped into 49 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 20 of The Unwilling Vestal contain?

Chapter 20 holds 242 sentences of The Unwilling Vestal, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Unwilling Vestal by Edward Lucas White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 242 sentences, grouped into 49 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 20 of The Unwilling Vestal?

Work through the 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 49 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 20 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Unwilling Vestal

Common questions about reading The Unwilling Vestal by Edward Lucas White on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Unwilling Vestal?

Yes. All 5109 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6070 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Unwilling Vestal is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6070, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Unwilling Vestal take to read?

About 425 minutes of reading across 1022 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Unwilling Vestal section by section

How to work through The Unwilling Vestal section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of The Unwilling Vestal to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Unwilling Vestal

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Unwilling Vestal, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Brinnaria
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Unwilling Vestal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Severely
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Unwilling Vestal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Marry
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Unwilling Vestal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Designate
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Unwilling Vestal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.