Chapter 5 of A Foregone Conclusion is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of A Foregone Conclusion is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“To what, madamigella?” asked the priest, sadly. “To what!” she echoed, opening her eyes full upon him. “To God!” Don Ippolito made no answer. He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.
Chapter 5 of A Foregone Conclusion is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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 front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading “He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.”
a Spanish gentleman or nobleman
From this reading “Don Ippolito made no answer.”
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading ““To what!” she echoed, opening her eyes full upon him.”
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading “He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.”
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading “He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.”
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading ““To what!” she echoed, opening her eyes full upon him.”
a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders
From this reading ““To what, madamigella?” asked the priest, sadly.”
in an unfortunate way
From this reading ““To what, madamigella?” asked the priest, sadly.”
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.
react verbally
From this reading Don Ippolito made no answer.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “To what, madamigella?” asked the priest, sadly.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.
a Spanish gentleman or nobleman
From this reading Don Ippolito made no answer.
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading “To what!” she echoed, opening her eyes full upon him.
opinion or judgment
From this reading “To what!” she echoed, opening her eyes full upon him.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading “To what!” she echoed, opening her eyes full upon him.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading “To God!”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “To what!” she echoed, opening her eyes full upon him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “To what!” she echoed, opening her eyes full upon him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Don Ippolito made no answer.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “To what, madamigella?” asked the priest, sadly.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Don Ippolito made no answer.
not any; not one
From this reading Don Ippolito made no answer.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading “To what!” she echoed, opening her eyes full upon him.
a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders
From this reading “To what, madamigella?” asked the priest, sadly.
of or relating to a belief in sacerdotalism
From this reading He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.
in an unfortunate way
From this reading “To what, madamigella?” asked the priest, sadly.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “To what!” she echoed, opening her eyes full upon him.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “To what, madamigella?” asked the priest, sadly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “To what, madamigella?” asked the priest, sadly.
the shaved crown of a monk's or priest's head
From this reading He let his head fall so low upon his breast that she could see the sacerdotal tonsure.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading “To what!” she echoed, opening her eyes full upon him.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “To what, madamigella?” asked the priest, sadly.
Chapter 5 of A Foregone Conclusion by William Dean Howells holds 443 sentences, grouped into 89 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 5 holds 443 sentences of A Foregone Conclusion, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of A Foregone Conclusion by William Dean Howells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 443 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 5 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 Foregone Conclusion by William Dean Howells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3514 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7839 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #7839, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 292 minutes of reading across 703 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Foregone Conclusion section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of A Foregone Conclusion 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 Foregone Conclusion, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
