Chapter 11 of Zarah the Cruel is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of Zarah the Cruel is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“_Sweet of tongue but of distant beneficence._”—ARABIC PROVERB. “Zarah! It is—it is you! Then it _was_ you!” Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
Chapter 11 of Zarah the Cruel is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
the Semitic language of the Arabs; spoken in a variety of dialects
From this reading ““_Sweet of tongue but of distant beneficence._”—ARABIC PROVERB.”
doing good; feeling beneficent
From this reading ““_Sweet of tongue but of distant beneficence._”—ARABIC PROVERB.”
-ing form of “bewilder” — be a mystery or bewildering to
From this reading “Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.”
inflected form of “blot” — dry (ink) with blotting paper
From this reading “Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.”
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading “Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.”
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading “Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.”
hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
From this reading “Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.”
a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people
From this reading ““_Sweet of tongue but of distant beneficence._”—ARABIC PROVERB.”
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 “Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.”
In this reading “Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.”
In this reading “Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
the Semitic language of the Arabs; spoken in a variety of dialects
From this reading “_Sweet of tongue but of distant beneficence._”—ARABIC PROVERB.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
doing good; feeling beneficent
From this reading “_Sweet of tongue but of distant beneficence._”—ARABIC PROVERB.
-ing form of “bewilder” — be a mystery or bewildering to
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
inflected form of “blot” — dry (ink) with blotting paper
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “_Sweet of tongue but of distant beneficence._”—ARABIC PROVERB.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
the first light of day
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading “_Sweet of tongue but of distant beneficence._”—ARABIC PROVERB.
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
(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 Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is—it is you!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is—it is you!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “_Sweet of tongue but of distant beneficence._”—ARABIC PROVERB.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people
From this reading “_Sweet of tongue but of distant beneficence._”—ARABIC PROVERB.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading “_Sweet of tongue but of distant beneficence._”—ARABIC PROVERB.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then it _was_ you!”
a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading “_Sweet of tongue but of distant beneficence._”—ARABIC PROVERB.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then it _was_ you!”
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Helen raised herself on her elbow and stared at the bewildering picture which suddenly appeared in the doorway, blotting out the peace of the coming dawn and the far-stretching desert.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading It is—it is you!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Zarah!
Chapter 11 of Zarah the Cruel by Joan Conquest holds 202 sentences, grouped into 41 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 11 holds 202 sentences of Zarah the Cruel, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of Zarah the Cruel by Joan Conquest exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 202 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 11 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 Zarah the Cruel by Joan Conquest on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4019 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61014 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #61014, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 334 minutes of reading across 804 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Zarah the Cruel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of Zarah the Cruel 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 Zarah the Cruel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
