Wild Heather

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of Wild Heather is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By L. T. Meade • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

Lady Helen and my father were the best of friends.

I went to see Lady Carrington as often as I could, but for some reason Lady Helen Dalrymple and she were only the merest acquaintances, and I could see that Lady Helen was jealous when Lady Carrington invited me to her house.

The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

I saw very little of father.

Narrator

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.

Chapter X Reading 1/27

Wild Heather

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of Wild Heather is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

/əˈbaʊt ə mʌnθ pæst baɪ ənd ðə siːn wɪtʃ aɪ hæv əˈluːdɪd tuː siːmd tuː hæv rəˈsiːdɪd laɪk ˈdɪstənt smoʊk/

Line 2

Lady Helen and my father were the best of friends.

/ˈleɪdi ˈhelən ənd maɪ ˈfɑːðər wɜːr ðə best ʌv frendz/

Line 3

Line 4

The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

/ðə deɪz aɪ spent wɪð ðæt ɡʊd ˈwʊmən wɜːr ðə ˈhæpiəst ʌv maɪ laɪf dʒʌst ðen bʌt ðeɪ wɜːr fjuː ənd fɑːr bɪˈtwiːn/

Line 5

I saw very little of father.

/aɪ sɔː ˈveri ˈlɪtəl ʌv ˈfɑːðər/

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.

acquaintances noun US /əˈkweɪntənsɪz/

plural of “acquaintance” — personal knowledge or information about someone or something

From this reading “I went to see Lady Carrington as often as I could, but for some reason Lady Helen Dalrymple and she were only the merest acquaintances, and I could see that Lady Helen was jealous when Lady Carrington invited me to her house.”

alluded verb US /əˈluːdɪd/

past form of “allude” — make a more or less disguised reference to

From this reading “About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.”

happiest adjective US /ˈhæpiəst/

superlative of “happy” — enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading “The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.”

Helen noun US /ˈhelən/

(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War

From this reading “Lady Helen and my father were the best of friends.”

invited verb US /ˌɪnˈvaɪtəd/

past form of “invite” — increase the likelihood of

jealous adjective US /ˈdʒeləs/

showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's advantages

merest adjective US /ˈmerəst/

superlative of “mere” — being nothing more than specified

receded verb US /rəˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “recede” — pull back or move away or backward

From this reading “About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.”

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.

merest acquaintances adjective + noun counted as “mere acquaintance”

In this reading “I went to see Lady Carrington as often as I could, but for some reason Lady Helen Dalrymple and she were only the merest acquaintances, and I could see that Lady Helen was jealous when Lady Carrington invited me to her house.”

some reason adjective + noun

good woman adjective + noun

In this reading “The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.”

passed by verb + particle counted as “pass by”

move past

In this reading “About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.”

All words in this reading · 65

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 About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

acquaintancesnounUS /əˈkweɪntənsɪz/

plural of “acquaintance” — personal knowledge or information about someone or something

From this reading I went to see Lady Carrington as often as I could, but for some reason Lady Helen Dalrymple and she were only the merest acquaintances, and I could see that Lady Helen was jealous when Lady Carrington invited me to her house.

alludedverbUS /əˈluːdɪd/

past form of “allude” — make a more or less disguised reference to

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading Lady Helen and my father were the best of friends.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

Carrington

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

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

Dalrymple

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

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

distantadjectiveUS /ˈdɪstənt/

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Lady Helen and my father were the best of friends.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Lady Helen and my father were the best of friends.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

happiestadjectiveUS /ˈhæpiəst/

superlative of “happy” — enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

HelennounUS /ˈhelən/

(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War

From this reading Lady Helen and my father were the best of friends.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

invitedverbUS /ˌɪnˈvaɪtəd/

past form of “invite” — increase the likelihood of

jealousadjectiveUS /ˈdʒeləs/

showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's advantages

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

LadynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading Lady Helen and my father were the best of friends.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading I saw very little of father.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

merestadjectiveUS /ˈmerəst/

superlative of “mere” — being nothing more than specified

monthnounUS /mʌnθ/

one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Lady Helen and my father were the best of friends.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Lady Helen and my father were the best of friends.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

recededverbUS /rəˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “recede” — pull back or move away or backward

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading I saw very little of father.

scenenounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

smokenounUS /smoʊk/

a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading I saw very little of father.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Lady Helen and my father were the best of friends.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading About a month passed by, and the scene which I have alluded to seemed to have receded like distant smoke.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading The days I spent with that good woman were the happiest of my life just then, but they were few and far between.

Chapter 10 of Wild Heather by L. T. Meade holds 135 sentences, grouped into 27 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 10 of Wild Heather contain?

Chapter 10 holds 135 sentences of Wild Heather, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of Wild Heather by L. T. Meade exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 135 sentences, grouped into 27 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 10 of Wild Heather?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 Wild Heather

Common questions about reading Wild Heather by L. T. Meade on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Wild Heather?

Yes. All 4842 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41826 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Wild Heather is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #41826, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Wild Heather take to read?

About 403 minutes of reading across 969 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Wild Heather section by section

How to work through Wild Heather section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 22 chapters of Wild Heather to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Wild Heather

Words and structures a reader meets early in Wild Heather, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Frontispiece: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wild Heather; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Colour: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wild Heather; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Three: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wild Heather; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Black-and-white: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wild Heather; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter X

What does chapter 10 of Wild Heather contain?

How do I study chapter 10 of Wild Heather?

Can chapter 10 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Wild Heather

How to read Wild Heather section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Wild Heather