Chapter 40 of The well of loneliness is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XL
Chapter 40 of The well of loneliness is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Valérie stared at Stephen in amazement: ‘But . . it’s such an extraordinary thing you’re asking! Are you sure you’re right to take such a step? For myself I care nothing; why should I care?
Chapter 40 of The well of loneliness is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading “Valérie stared at Stephen in amazement: ‘But .”
the verbal act of requesting
From this reading “. it’s such an extraordinary thing you’re asking!”
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading “For myself I care nothing; why should I care?”
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
From this reading “. it’s such an extraordinary thing you’re asking!”
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading “For myself I care nothing; why should I care?”
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading “Valérie stared at Stephen in amazement: ‘But .”
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading “Are you sure you’re right to take such a step?”
English writer (1832-1904)
From this reading “Valérie stared at Stephen in amazement: ‘But .”
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.
In this reading “Valérie stared at Stephen in amazement: ‘But .”
In this reading “. it’s such an extraordinary thing you’re asking!”
In this reading “Valérie stared at Stephen in amazement: ‘But .”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Are you sure you’re right to take such a step?
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading Valérie stared at Stephen in amazement: ‘But .
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading . it’s such an extraordinary thing you’re asking!
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Are you sure you’re right to take such a step?
the verbal act of requesting
From this reading . it’s such an extraordinary thing you’re asking!
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Valérie stared at Stephen in amazement: ‘But .
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Valérie stared at Stephen in amazement: ‘But .
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading For myself I care nothing; why should I care?
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
From this reading . it’s such an extraordinary thing you’re asking!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For myself I care nothing; why should I care?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading For myself I care nothing; why should I care?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Valérie stared at Stephen in amazement: ‘But .
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading . it’s such an extraordinary thing you’re asking!
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading For myself I care nothing; why should I care?
not one thing; not anything
From this reading For myself I care nothing; why should I care?
precisely, exactly
From this reading Are you sure you’re right to take such a step?
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading For myself I care nothing; why should I care?
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Valérie stared at Stephen in amazement: ‘But .
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading Are you sure you’re right to take such a step?
English writer (1832-1904)
From this reading Valérie stared at Stephen in amazement: ‘But .
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading . it’s such an extraordinary thing you’re asking!
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading Are you sure you’re right to take such a step?
carry out
From this reading Are you sure you’re right to take such a step?
a special situation
From this reading . it’s such an extraordinary thing you’re asking!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Are you sure you’re right to take such a step?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Valérie stared at Stephen in amazement: ‘But .
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading For myself I care nothing; why should I care?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Are you sure you’re right to take such a step?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading . it’s such an extraordinary thing you’re asking!
Chapter 40 of The well of loneliness by Radclyffe Hall holds 175 sentences, grouped into 35 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 40 holds 175 sentences of The well of loneliness, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 40 of The well of loneliness by Radclyffe Hall exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 175 sentences, grouped into 35 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 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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 40 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 well of loneliness by Radclyffe Hall on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The well of loneliness section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The well of loneliness 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 well of loneliness, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
