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Wives and Daughters
Wives and Daughters

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of Wives and Daughters is here in full — 249 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Wives and Daughters
Context Illustration Reading 1/49 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SECRET THOUGHTS OOZE OUT.
Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.
She started as Molly came up to her.
"Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"
It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Wives and Daughters

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of Wives and Daughters is here in full — 249 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/49 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SECRET THOUGHTS OOZE OUT.
/ˈsiː.krət θɔːts uːz aʊt/
Line 2
Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.
Line 3
She started as Molly came up to her.
/ʃiː ˈstɑːrtɪd æz ˈmɑːli keɪm ʌp tuː hɜːr/
Line 4
"Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"
/oʊ ˈmɑːli sed ʃiː ˈpʌtɪŋ hɜːr ɑːrmz aʊt təˈwɔːrdz hɜːr aɪ æm ˈɔːlweɪz soʊ ɡlæd tuː hæv juː wɪð miː/
Line 5
It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.
/ɪt wɑːz ˈaʊtbɜːrsts ʌv əˈfekʃən sʌtʃ æz ðiːz ðæt ˈɔːlweɪz kɔːld ˈmɑːli bæk ɪf ʃiː hæd bɪn ˈevər soʊ ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəsli ˈweɪvərɪŋ ɪn hɜːr əˈliːdʒəns tuː ˈsɪnθiə/

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.

affection noun US /əˈfekʃən/

a positive feeling of liking

From this reading “It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.”

allegiance noun US /əˈliːdʒəns/

the act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action

From this reading “It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.”

Cynthia noun US /ˈsɪnθiə/

(Greek mythology) the virgin goddess of the hunt and the Moon; daughter of Leto and twin sister of Apollo; identified with Roman Diana

From this reading “Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.”

Molly noun US /ˈmɑːli/

popular aquarium fish

From this reading “Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.”

ooze noun US /uːz/

any thick, viscous matter

From this reading “SECRET THOUGHTS OOZE OUT.”

outbursts noun US /ˈaʊtbɜːrsts/

plural of “outburst” — an unrestrained expression of emotion

From this reading “It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.”

unconsciously adverb US /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəsli/

without awareness

From this reading “It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.”

wavering noun US /ˈweɪvərɪŋ/

indecision in speech or action

From this reading “It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.”

All words in this reading · 53

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.

affectionnounUS /əˈfekʃən/

a positive feeling of liking

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

allegiancenounUS /əˈliːdʒəns/

the act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading "Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading "Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading She started as Molly came up to her.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

bow-window

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

From this reading Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading She started as Molly came up to her.

CynthianounUS /ˈsɪnθiə/

(Greek mythology) the virgin goddess of the hunt and the Moon; daughter of Leto and twin sister of Apollo; identified with Roman Diana

From this reading Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.

drawing-room

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

From this reading Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.

gladadjectiveUS /ɡlæd/

showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy

From this reading "Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She started as Molly came up to her.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading "Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"

MollynounUS /ˈmɑːli/

popular aquarium fish

From this reading Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading "Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.

OOZEnounUS /uːz/

any thick, viscous matter

From this reading SECRET THOUGHTS OOZE OUT.

OUTadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading SECRET THOUGHTS OOZE OUT.

outburstsnounUS /ˈaʊtbɜːrsts/

plural of “outburst” — an unrestrained expression of emotion

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

puttingnounUS /ˈpʌtɪŋ/

hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter

From this reading "Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"

SECRETnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading SECRET THOUGHTS OOZE OUT.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She started as Molly came up to her.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading She started as Molly came up to her.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

THOUGHTSnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading SECRET THOUGHTS OOZE OUT.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She started as Molly came up to her.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading "Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"

unconsciouslyadverbUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəsli/

without awareness

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading She started as Molly came up to her.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

waveringnounUS /ˈweɪvərɪŋ/

indecision in speech or action

From this reading It was outbursts of affection such as these that always called Molly back, if she had been ever so unconsciously wavering in her allegiance to Cynthia.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Oh, Molly," said she, putting her arms out towards her, "I am always so glad to have you with me!"

Chapter 26 of Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell holds 249 sentences, grouped into 50 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 26 of Wives and Daughters contain?

Chapter 26 holds 249 sentences of Wives and Daughters, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 26 of Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 249 sentences, grouped into 50 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 26 of Wives and Daughters?

Work through the 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 50 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 26 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 26 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 Wives and Daughters

Common questions about reading Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Wives and Daughters?

Yes. All 13287 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4274 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Wives and Daughters is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4274, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Wives and Daughters take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2658 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Wives and Daughters section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Wives and Daughters 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 Wives and Daughters

Words and structures a reader meets early in Wives and Daughters, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Novice
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wives and Daughters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Amongst
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wives and Daughters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wives and Daughters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
O'clock
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wives and Daughters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.