Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The well of loneliness
The well of loneliness

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The well of loneliness is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Chapter 18 of The well of loneliness by Radclyffe Hall holds 184 sentences, grouped into 37 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 18 of The well of loneliness contain?

Chapter 18 holds 184 sentences of The well of loneliness, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The well of loneliness by Radclyffe Hall exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 184 sentences, grouped into 37 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 18 of The well of loneliness?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 well of loneliness

Common questions about reading The well of loneliness by Radclyffe Hall on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The well of loneliness?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The well of loneliness is used?

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

How long does The well of loneliness take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The well of loneliness section by section

How to work through The well of loneliness section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of The well of loneliness 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 well of loneliness

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

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The well of loneliness, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of The well of loneliness, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The well of loneliness, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Cover illustration for The well of loneliness
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Ralph said very little about the ring.
What could he say?
A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?
He took refuge in sulky silence.
But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 well of loneliness

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The well of loneliness is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Ralph said very little about the ring.
Line 2
What could he say?
Line 3
A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?
Line 4
He took refuge in sulky silence.
Line 5
But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

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, audio, and collocations from this reading.

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “Ralph said very little about the ring.”

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “What could he say?”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.”

Pearl noun US /pɜːrl/

a smooth round object formed inside a shell and valued as a jewel

From this reading “But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.”

Silence noun US /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading “He took refuge in sulky silence.”

Whether conjunction US /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading “But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.”

All words in this reading · 69

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Ralph said very little about the ring.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

all

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

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

Angela

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

anger

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

angry

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

costly

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

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading What could he say?

course

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

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

daughter

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

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

eyes

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

finger

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

given

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

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading What could he say?

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He took refuge in sulky silence.

little

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

From this reading Ralph said very little about the ring.

look

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

neighbour

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

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

never

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

pearlnounUS /pɜːrl/

a smooth round object formed inside a shell and valued as a jewel

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

perhaps

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

present

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

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

quite

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

Ralph

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

From this reading Ralph said very little about the ring.

redder

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

refuge

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

From this reading He took refuge in sulky silence.

right-hand

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

ring

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

From this reading Ralph said very little about the ring.

said

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

From this reading Ralph said very little about the ring.

say

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

From this reading What could he say?

see

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading He took refuge in sulky silence.

staring

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

Stephen

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

still

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

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

sulky

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

From this reading He took refuge in sulky silence.

tearful

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

tell

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Ralph said very little about the ring.

third

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

took

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

From this reading He took refuge in sulky silence.

unusually

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

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

usual

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

very

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

From this reading Ralph said very little about the ring.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

weak

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What could he say?

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

wife

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

From this reading A present given to his wife by the daughter of a neighbour—an unusually costly present of course—still, after all, what could he say?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

wore

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

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading But Stephen would see him staring at the pearl, which Angela wore on her right-hand third finger, and his weak little eyes would look redder than usual, perhaps with anger—one could never quite tell from his eyes whether he was tearful or angry.