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The Vanishing of Tera
The Vanishing of Tera

Chapter XXI · "The End Does Not Always Justify the Means"

Chapter XXI of The Vanishing of Tera, “"The End Does Not Always Justify the Means",” is here in full — 243 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Vanishing of Tera
Context Illustration Reading 1/48 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.
She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.
She was really angry.
"It is too bad of you, Bithiah," she said, flushing.
"Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?
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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 Vanishing of Tera

Chapter XXI · "The End Does Not Always Justify the Means"

Chapter XXI of The Vanishing of Tera, “"The End Does Not Always Justify the Means",” is here in full — 243 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.
Line 2
She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.
Line 3
She was really angry.
/ʃiː wɑːz ˈrɪli ˈæŋɡri/
Line 4
"It is too bad of you, Bithiah," she said, flushing.
Line 5
"Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

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.

appreciate verb US /əˈpriːʃieɪt/

recognize with gratitude; be grateful for

From this reading “She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.”

astounding adjective US /əˈstaʊndɪŋ/

bewildering or striking dumb with wonder

From this reading “When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.”

flushing verb US /ˈflʌʃɪŋ/

-ing form of “flush” — turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame

From this reading “"It is too bad of you, Bithiah," she said, flushing.”

Herbert's noun US /ˈhɜːrbərts/

possessive form of “herbert” — United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)

From this reading “"Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?”

humour noun US /ˈhjuːmər/

a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling

From this reading “She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.”

joking adjective US /ˈdʒoʊkɪŋ/

characterized by jokes and good humor

From this reading “She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.”

Rachel noun US /ˈreɪtʃəl/

(Old Testament) the second wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin

From this reading “When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.”

statement noun US /ˈsteɪtmənt/

a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc

From this reading “When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.”

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.

too bad adverb + adjective

deserving regret

In this reading “"It is too bad of you, Bithiah," she said, flushing.”

in nowise preposition + adverb

In this reading “She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.

angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/

feeling or showing anger

From this reading She was really angry.

appreciateverbUS /əˈpriːʃieɪt/

recognize with gratitude; be grateful for

From this reading She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.

astoundingadjectiveUS /əˈstaʊndɪŋ/

bewildering or striking dumb with wonder

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading "It is too bad of you, Bithiah," she said, flushing.

Bithiah

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

From this reading "It is too bad of you, Bithiah," she said, flushing.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.

Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.

flushingverbUS /ˈflʌʃɪŋ/

-ing form of “flush” — turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame

From this reading "It is too bad of you, Bithiah," she said, flushing.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

Herbert'snounUS /ˈhɜːrbərts/

possessive form of “herbert” — United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

humournounUS /ˈhjuːmər/

a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling

From this reading She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.

ill-timedadjective

badly timed

From this reading She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.

incredulouslyadverb

in an incredulous manner

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "It is too bad of you, Bithiah," she said, flushing.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

jokingadjectiveUS /ˈdʒoʊkɪŋ/

characterized by jokes and good humor

From this reading She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.

killedverbUS /kɪld/

past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

laughedverbUS /læft/

past form of “laugh” — produce laughter

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

nowiseadverb

in no manner

From this reading She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "It is too bad of you, Bithiah," she said, flushing.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

RachelnounUS /ˈreɪtʃəl/

(Old Testament) the second wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading She was really angry.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "It is too bad of you, Bithiah," she said, flushing.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

sick-bed

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

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

sillyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪli/

ludicrous, foolish

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

statementnounUS /ˈsteɪtmənt/

a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

talkverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

Teranoun

a three-tone Chadic language

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading She thought the girl was joking, and she felt she could in nowise appreciate such ill-timed humour.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Did you get that money out of me, did you take me from Herbert's sick-bed, only to talk in this silly manner?

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading "It is too bad of you, Bithiah," she said, flushing.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "It is too bad of you, Bithiah," she said, flushing.

Zara

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

From this reading When Tera made the astounding statement that she it was who had killed Zara poor Rachel laughed incredulously.

Chapter 21 of The Vanishing of Tera by Fergus Hume holds 243 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 21 of The Vanishing of Tera contain?

Chapter 21 holds 243 sentences of The Vanishing of Tera, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The Vanishing of Tera by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 243 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 21 of The Vanishing of Tera?

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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Vanishing of Tera

Common questions about reading The Vanishing of Tera by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Vanishing of Tera?

Yes. All 5154 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55313 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Vanishing of Tera is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55313, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Vanishing of Tera take to read?

About 429 minutes of reading across 1031 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Vanishing of Tera section by section

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  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in The Vanishing of Tera

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Vanishing of Tera, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fergus
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vanishing of Tera; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vanishing of Tera; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mystery
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vanishing of Tera; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hansom
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vanishing of Tera; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.