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The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth
The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth

Chapter XXII

Chapter 22 of The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth is here in full — 409 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.
She had been willing, and he had spoken.
The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.
He had said there was a terrible necessity; no way out--not for her and not for him.
He was like one damned, and she must redeem him.
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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 World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth

Chapter XXII

Chapter 22 of The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth is here in full — 409 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.
/hiː hæd suːðd hɜːr ə bɪt ənd meɪd ˈprɪti ˈspiːtʃəz ənd sed ʃiː ʃʊd ˈlɪsən tuː hɪm/
Line 2
She had been willing, and he had spoken.
/ʃiː hæd bɪn ˈwɪlɪŋ ənd hiː hæd ˈspoʊkən/
Line 3
The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.
Line 4
He had said there was a terrible necessity; no way out--not for her and not for him.
Line 5
He was like one damned, and she must redeem him.
/hiː wɑːz laɪk wʌn dæmd ənd ʃiː mʌst rɪˈdiːm hɪm/

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.

candle noun US /ˈkændəl/

stick of wax with a wick in the middle

From this reading “The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.”

damned adjective US /dæmd/

expletives used informally as intensifiers

From this reading “He was like one damned, and she must redeem him.”

necessity noun US /nəˈsesəti/

the condition of being essential or indispensable

From this reading “He had said there was a terrible necessity; no way out--not for her and not for him.”

redeem verb US /rɪˈdiːm/

save from sins

From this reading “He was like one damned, and she must redeem him.”

soothed verb US /suːðd/

past form of “soothe” — give moral or emotional strength to

From this reading “He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.”

speeches noun US /ˈspiːtʃəz/

plural of “speech” — the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

From this reading “He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.”

spoken adjective US /ˈspoʊkən/

uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination

From this reading “She had been willing, and he had spoken.”

willing adjective US /ˈwɪlɪŋ/

disposed or inclined toward

From this reading “She had been willing, and he had spoken.”

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.

against the wall preposition + article + noun counted as “against … wall”

In this reading “The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.”

in front preposition + noun

at or in the front

In this reading “The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.”

pretty speeches adjective + noun counted as “pretty speech”

In this reading “He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.”

All words in this reading · 46

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading She had been willing, and he had spoken.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.

bitnounUS /bɪt/

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

candlenounUS /ˈkændəl/

stick of wax with a wick in the middle

From this reading The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.

damnedadjectiveUS /dæmd/

expletives used informally as intensifiers

From this reading He was like one damned, and she must redeem him.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He had said there was a terrible necessity; no way out--not for her and not for him.

frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading He was like one damned, and she must redeem him.

listenverbUS /ˈlɪsən/

hear with intention

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading He was like one damned, and she must redeem him.

necessitynounUS /nəˈsesəti/

the condition of being essential or indispensable

From this reading He had said there was a terrible necessity; no way out--not for her and not for him.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading He had said there was a terrible necessity; no way out--not for her and not for him.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He had said there was a terrible necessity; no way out--not for her and not for him.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He was like one damned, and she must redeem him.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading He had said there was a terrible necessity; no way out--not for her and not for him.

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

redeemverbUS /rɪˈdiːm/

save from sins

From this reading He was like one damned, and she must redeem him.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

soothedverbUS /suːðd/

past form of “soothe” — give moral or emotional strength to

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

speechesnounUS /ˈspiːtʃəz/

plural of “speech” — the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

spokenadjectiveUS /ˈspoʊkən/

uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination

From this reading She had been willing, and he had spoken.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.

terribleadjectiveUS /ˈterəbəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading He had said there was a terrible necessity; no way out--not for her and not for him.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading He had said there was a terrible necessity; no way out--not for her and not for him.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He had soothed her a bit and made pretty speeches and said she should listen to him.

wallnounUS /wɔːl/

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He had said there was a terrible necessity; no way out--not for her and not for him.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading He had said there was a terrible necessity; no way out--not for her and not for him.

willingadjectiveUS /ˈwɪlɪŋ/

disposed or inclined toward

From this reading She had been willing, and he had spoken.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The table with the candle had been between them--he in front of it, she behind it against the wall.

Chapter 22 of The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth by Jakob Wassermann holds 409 sentences, grouped into 82 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 22 of The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth contain?

Chapter 22 holds 409 sentences of The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 22 of The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth by Jakob Wassermann exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 409 sentences, grouped into 82 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 22 of The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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 22 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 22 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 World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth

Common questions about reading The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth by Jakob Wassermann on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth?

Yes. All 10248 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #57847 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #57847, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2050 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth section by section

How to work through The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth 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 World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth

Words and structures a reader meets early in The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Harcourt
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brace
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Quinn
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Boden
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The World's Illusion, Volume 2 (of 2): Ruth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.