A Little Princess: Chapters 15–19

by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Ten-year-old Sara Crewe is treated like a princess at her boarding school. When her father dies unexpectedly in India, Sara must live in the attic and work as a maid and errand girl. With the help of her vivid imagination — and a mysterious benefactor — she learns to survive and thrive.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–8, Chapters 9–14, Chapters 15–19
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. dejected
    affected or marked by low spirits
    Ermengarde's gesture was a dejected one.
  2. keen
    intense or sharp
    She was growing rapidly, and her constant walking and running about would have given her a keen appetite even if she had had abundant and regular meals of a much more nourishing nature than the unappetizing, inferior food snatched at such odd times as suited the kitchen convenience.
  3. squire
    a young nobleman attendant on a knight
    “If I lived in a castle,” she argued, “and Ermengarde was the lady of another castle, and came to see me, with knights and squires and vassals riding with her, and pennons flying; when I heard the clarions sounding outside the drawbridge I should go down to receive her, and I should spread feasts in the banquet-hall and call in minstrels to sing and play and relate romances...."
  4. vassal
    a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord
    “If I lived in a castle,” she argued, “and Ermengarde was the lady of another castle, and came to see me, with knights and squires and vassals riding with her, and pennons flying; when I heard the clarions sounding outside the drawbridge I should go down to receive her, and I should spread feasts in the banquet-hall and call in minstrels to sing and play and relate romances...."
  5. clarion
    a medieval brass instrument with a clear shrill tone
    “If I lived in a castle,” she argued, “and Ermengarde was the lady of another castle, and came to see me, with knights and squires and vassals riding with her, and pennons flying; when I heard the clarions sounding outside the drawbridge I should go down to receive her, and I should spread feasts in the banquet-hall and call in minstrels to sing and play and relate romances...."
  6. minstrel
    a singer of folk songs
    “If I lived in a castle,” she argued, “and Ermengarde was the lady of another castle, and came to see me, with knights and squires and vassals riding with her, and pennons flying; when I heard the clarions sounding outside the drawbridge I should go down to receive her, and I should spread feasts in the banquet-hall and call in minstrels to sing and play and relate romances...."
  7. pillage
    steal goods; take as spoils
    When she comes into the attic I can’t spread feasts, but I can tell stories, and not let her know disagreeable things. I dare say poor chatelaines had to do that in times of famine, when their lands had been pillaged.
  8. denote
    be a sign or indication of
    Sara was crying! The unconquerable Sara! It seemed to denote something new—some mood she had never known.
  9. reel
    walk as if unable to control one's movements
    Sara almost reeled. When one is faint with hunger the mention of food has sometimes a curious effect.
  10. befall
    happen or be the case in the course of events or by chance
    Becky was too much overpowered by the good luck which had befallen her.
  11. crockery
    ceramic dishes used for serving food
    "What are they now, miss?" she inquired. "You'd think they was made of crockery—but I know they ain't."
  12. flagon
    a large metal or pottery vessel with a handle and spout
    "This is a carven flagon," said Sara, arranging tendrils of the wreath about the mug.
  13. alabaster
    a fine-textured white gypsum used for carving
    "And this"—bending tenderly over the soap dish and heaping it with roses—"is purest alabaster encrusted with gems."
  14. bate
    moderate or restrain; lessen the force of
    But Sara drew back and gazed at it, seeing wonders; and Becky, after staring in delight, spoke with bated breath.
  15. taper
    stick of wax with a wick in the middle
    "A banquet hall," said Sara. "A vast chamber where feasts are given. It has a vaulted roof, and a minstrels' gallery, and a huge chimney filled with blazing oaken logs, and it is brilliant with waxen tapers twinkling on every side."
  16. specious
    deceptively pleasing
    She struck a match and lighted it up with a great specious glow which illuminated the room.
  17. pert
    characterized by a lightly saucy or impudent quality
    There was no pertness in Sara's manner. It was only sad and quiet.
  18. intemperate
    excessive in behavior
    Miss Minchin was infuriated just as she had been before and her anger expressed itself, as before, in an intemperate fashion.
  19. lithe
    moving and bending with ease
    The truth was, however, that it was a sound which had called her back—a real sound—the click of the skylight as it fell in closing after a lithe white figure which slipped through it and crouched down close by upon the slates of the roof—just near enough to see what happened in the attic, but not near enough to be seen.
  20. priggish
    exaggeratedly or self-righteously proper
    "I got it out of Lottie. She's such a baby she didn't know she was telling me. There was nothing nasty at all in speaking to Miss Minchin. I felt it my duty"—priggishly.
  21. askance
    with suspicion or disapproval
    When Sara went into the kitchen that morning the cook looked askance at her, and so did the housemaids; but she passed them hurriedly.
  22. audacious
    invulnerable to fear or intimidation
    What such an audacious look of well-being, under august displeasure could mean she could not understand.
  23. august
    of or befitting a lord
    What such an audacious look of well-being, under august displeasure could mean she could not understand.
  24. ingenious
    showing inventiveness and skill
    The ugly walls were gradually entirely covered with pictures and draperies, ingenious pieces of folding furniture appeared, a bookshelf was hung up and filled with books, new comforts and conveniences appeared one by one, until there seemed nothing left to be desired.
  25. haughty
    having or showing arrogant superiority
    "There is something very disagreeable in seeing that sort of thing in a child of her age," said Miss Minchin, with haughty vagueness.
  26. sordid
    immoderately greedy and selfish
    This was an incident which suggested strange things to her sordid mind. Could it be that she had made a mistake, after all, and that the neglected child had some powerful though eccentric friend in the background—perhaps some previously unknown relation, who had suddenly traced her whereabouts, and chose to provide for her in this mysterious and fantastic way?
  27. crotchety
    having a difficult and contrary disposition
    Such a person, however, would be sure to be crotchety and hot-tempered enough to be easily offended.
  28. scant
    less than the correct or legal or full amount
    It would not be very pleasant if there were such a one, and he should learn all the truth about the thin, shabby clothes, the scant food, and the hard work.
  29. respective
    considered individually
    She was reading one of her new books to Becky just before they went to their respective beds, when her attention was attracted by a sound at the skylight.
  30. croon
    sing softly
    "Nice monkey! Nice monkey!" she crooned, kissing his funny head.
  31. unavailing
    producing no result or effect
    His efforts to reach them had been unavailing, so he had decided to remain in Moscow until their return.
  32. astride
    with one leg on each side
    Nora had found a footstool, and Donald was astride the tiger's head which ornamented the rug made of the animal's skin.
  33. presumption
    audacious behavior that you have no right to
    "It would be just like her to thrust herself upon him and try to gain his sympathies in some such impertinent fashion," said Miss Minchin. "She must have been in the house for two hours. I will not allow such presumption. I shall go and inquire into the matter, and apologize for her intrusion."
  34. scrutiny
    a prolonged intense look
    The Indian gentleman looked at her for a moment in silent scrutiny.
  35. interpose
    insert between other elements
    "Come, come, Miss Minchin," Mr. Carmichael interposed, "the law will do nothing of the sort. If Sara herself wishes to return to you, I dare say Mr. Carrisford might not refuse to allow it. But that rests with Sara."
  36. grovel
    show submission or fear
    "She saw through us both. She saw that you were a hard-hearted, worldly woman, and that I was a weak fool, and that we were both of us vulgar and mean enough to grovel on our knees for her money, and behave ill to her because it was taken from her—though she behaved herself like a little princess even when she was a beggar. She did—she did—like a little princess!"
  37. babel
    a confusion of voices and other sounds
    There was a perfect babel, and Lottie began to cry plaintively.
  38. plaintively
    in a manner expressing sorrow
    There was a perfect babel, and Lottie began to cry plaintively.
  39. bearing
    a person's manner or way of conducting himself or herself
    He had described its cheerless look, and the bearing of the child, who seemed as if she was not of the class of those who were treated as drudges and servants.
  40. waif
    a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned
    And then Sara, leaning on the counter, made her little proposal concerning the dreadful days and the hungry waifs and the buns.
Created on Wed Oct 30 14:08:07 EDT 2019 (updated Wed Oct 30 14:21:45 EDT 2019)

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