Chapter 4 of A Chance Acquaintance is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of A Chance Acquaintance is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"But, Kitty, isn't that to his credit?" "Maybe. I don't say. If I knew more about the world, perhaps I should admire it. But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
Chapter 4 of A Chance Acquaintance is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
feel admiration for
From this reading “If I knew more about the world, perhaps I should admire it.”
represent in or produce a caricature of
From this reading “But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."”
approval
From this reading “"But, Kitty, isn't that to his credit?"”
the combined stakes of the betters
From this reading “"But, Kitty, isn't that to his credit?"”
by chance
From this reading “"Maybe.”
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading “But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."”
difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
From this reading “But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."”
lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
From this reading “But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."”
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 But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading If I knew more about the world, perhaps I should admire it.
feel admiration for
From this reading If I knew more about the world, perhaps I should admire it.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But, Kitty, isn't that to his credit?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
represent in or produce a caricature of
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
approval
From this reading "But, Kitty, isn't that to his credit?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don't say.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "But, Kitty, isn't that to his credit?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I don't say.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If I knew more about the world, perhaps I should admire it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But, Kitty, isn't that to his credit?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If I knew more about the world, perhaps I should admire it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
the combined stakes of the betters
From this reading "But, Kitty, isn't that to his credit?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading If I knew more about the world, perhaps I should admire it.
the sound of laughing
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
by chance
From this reading "Maybe.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading If I knew more about the world, perhaps I should admire it.
a form of address for a man
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
by chance
From this reading If I knew more about the world, perhaps I should admire it.
express in words
From this reading I don't say.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading If I knew more about the world, perhaps I should admire it.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "But, Kitty, isn't that to his credit?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading If I knew more about the world, perhaps I should admire it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "But, Kitty, isn't that to his credit?"
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading If I knew more about the world, perhaps I should admire it.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading But now, you see,"--and here Kitty's laugh grew more natural, and she gave a subtle caricature of Mr. Arbuton's air and tone as she spoke,--"I can't help feeling that it's a little--vulgar."
Chapter 4 of A Chance Acquaintance by William Dean Howells holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 4 holds 413 sentences of A Chance Acquaintance, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of A Chance Acquaintance by William Dean Howells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 4 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 A Chance Acquaintance by William Dean Howells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2456 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18555 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18555, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 204 minutes of reading across 492 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Chance Acquaintance section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of A Chance Acquaintance 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 A Chance Acquaintance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
