Chapter 16 of Vashti is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Vashti is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto. "She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest. Do you wish to see her immediately?" "Yes. Call her down."
Chapter 16 of Vashti is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/49 · 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.
using the voice; not silently
From this reading “"Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.”
on or starting from the wearer's right
From this reading “"Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.”
-ing form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading “"Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.”
a woman entrusted with the care and supervision of a child (especially in a private home)
From this reading “"Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.”
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading “"Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.”
a room where books are kept
From this reading “"Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.”
woman whose dancing beguiled Herod into giving her the head of John the Baptist
From this reading “"Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.”
joining or attaching by stitches
From this reading “"Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.”
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 “"Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.”
In this reading “"She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.”
In this reading “"Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.”
In this reading “"Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.”
In this reading “"She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.”
move upward
In this reading “"She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.”
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 "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
in the past
From this reading "She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.
using the voice; not silently
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Call her down."
on or starting from the wearer's right
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Do you wish to see her immediately?"
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Call her down."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
-ing form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
a woman entrusted with the care and supervision of a child (especially in a private home)
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Do you wish to see her immediately?"
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading "She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Do you wish to see her immediately?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
a room where books are kept
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading "She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.
woman whose dancing beguiled Herod into giving her the head of John the Baptist
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Do you wish to see her immediately?"
joining or attaching by stitches
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading "She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.
precisely as stated
From this reading "She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest.
in or at the place that
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
during the time that
From this reading "Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading Do you wish to see her immediately?"
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Do you wish to see her immediately?"
Chapter 16 of Vashti by Augusta J. (Augusta Jane) Evans holds 245 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.
Chapter 16 holds 245 sentences of Vashti, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Vashti by Augusta J. (Augusta Jane) Evans exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 245 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Vashti by Augusta J. (Augusta Jane) Evans on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6667 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31620 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31620, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 555 minutes of reading across 1334 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Vashti section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 35 chapters of Vashti 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 Vashti, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
