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Town and Country
Town and Country

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Town and Country is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Town and Country
Context Illustration Reading 1/6 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.
"George, I know he will not go too far,--O, no!
As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."
"I hope it may be so," said George.
"And why not hope?
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Town and Country

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Town and Country is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/6 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.
/ˈnevər ɪkˈskleɪmd ðə jʌŋ ˈleɪdi æz ʃiː waɪpt hɜːr aɪz ənd ə smaɪl ʌv dʒɔɪ ənd hoʊp bɜːrst θruː hɜːr terz/
Line 2
"George, I know he will not go too far,--O, no!
Line 3
As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."
/æz æn ˈiːɡəl meɪ tʌtʃ ðə ɜːrθ jet ˈsɔːrɪŋ əˈɡen floʊt ɪn ɪts oʊn ˈeləmənt ɪn ðə laɪt ʌv ðə sʌn soʊ meɪ hiː ðoʊ hiː hæz ðɪs wʌns ˈfɑːlən sɔːr ˈʌpwərd ənd ˈhaɪər ðæn ˈevər ˈplænɪŋ nɑːt əˈnʌðər dɪˈsent soʊ loʊ/
Line 4
"I hope it may be so," said George.
/aɪ hoʊp ɪt meɪ biː soʊ sed dʒɔːrdʒ/
Line 5
"And why not hope?
/ənd waɪ nɑːt hoʊp/

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.

descent noun US /dɪˈsent/

An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.

From this reading “As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."”

eagle noun US /ˈiːɡəl/

any of various large keen-sighted diurnal birds of prey noted for their broad wings and strong soaring flight

From this reading “As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."”

element noun US /ˈeləmənt/

an abstract part of something

From this reading “As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."”

float verb US /floʊt/

be in motion due to some air or water current

From this reading “As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."”

planning noun US /ˈplænɪŋ/

an act of formulating a program for a definite course of action

From this reading “As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."”

soar verb US /sɔːr/

rise rapidly

From this reading “As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."”

soaring adjective US /ˈsɔːrɪŋ/

ascending to a level markedly higher than the usual

From this reading “As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."”

wiped verb US /waɪpt/

past form of “wipe” — rub with a circular motion

From this reading “"Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.”

All words in this reading · 64

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 "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "I hope it may be so," said George.

burstverbUS /bɜːrst/

come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/

An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

eaglenounUS /ˈiːɡəl/

any of various large keen-sighted diurnal birds of prey noted for their broad wings and strong soaring flight

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

elementnounUS /ˈeləmənt/

an abstract part of something

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading "George, I know he will not go too far,--O, no!

floatverbUS /floʊt/

be in motion due to some air or water current

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading "George, I know he will not go too far,--O, no!

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "George, I know he will not go too far,--O, no!

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "George, I know he will not go too far,--O, no!

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

higheradjectiveUS /ˈhaɪər/

advanced in complexity or elaboration

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "George, I know he will not go too far,--O, no!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "I hope it may be so," said George.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "George, I know he will not go too far,--O, no!

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

NeveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "George, I know he will not go too far,--O, no!

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "George, I know he will not go too far,--O, no!

OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading "George, I know he will not go too far,--O, no!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

planningnounUS /ˈplænɪŋ/

an act of formulating a program for a definite course of action

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I hope it may be so," said George.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

smileverbUS /smaɪl/

change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

soarverbUS /sɔːr/

rise rapidly

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

soaringadjectiveUS /ˈsɔːrɪŋ/

ascending to a level markedly higher than the usual

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

tearsnounUS /terz/

the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading "George, I know he will not go too far,--O, no!

touchverbUS /tʌtʃ/

make physical contact with, come in contact with

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

upwardadjectiveUS /ˈʌpwərd/

directed up

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading "And why not hope?

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "George, I know he will not go too far,--O, no!

wipedverbUS /waɪpt/

past form of “wipe” — rub with a circular motion

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading As an eagle may touch the earth, yet, soaring again, float in its own element in the light of the sun, so may he, though he has this once fallen, soar upward, and higher than ever, planning not another descent so low."

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading "Never!" exclaimed the young lady, as she wiped her eyes, and a smile of joy and hope burst through her tears.

Chapter 17 of Town and Country by John S. (John Stowell) Adams holds 31 sentences, grouped into 7 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 17 of Town and Country contain?

Chapter 17 holds 31 sentences of Town and Country, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Town and Country by John S. (John Stowell) Adams exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 31 sentences, grouped into 7 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 17 of Town and Country?

Work through the 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 7 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Town and Country

Common questions about reading Town and Country by John S. (John Stowell) Adams on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Town and Country?

Yes. All 4543 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4669 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Town and Country is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4669, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Town and Country take to read?

About 378 minutes of reading across 909 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Town and Country

Words and structures a reader meets early in Town and Country, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Stern
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Town and Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gruff
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Town and Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Voice
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Town and Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Addressing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Town and Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.