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"A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress
"A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress is here in full — 47 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress
Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
OUIDA WILL NOT BE INTERVIEWED.
When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.
Now, Miss Winters was one of the most brilliant women of the New York press.
She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.
The girl had also taken a balloon ascension, and written it up for her paper.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

"A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress is here in full — 47 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
OUIDA WILL NOT BE INTERVIEWED.
Line 2
When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.
Line 3
Now, Miss Winters was one of the most brilliant women of the New York press.
/naʊ mɪs ˈwɪntərz wɑːz wʌn ʌv ðə moʊst ˈbrɪljənt ˈwɪmən ʌv ðə nuː jɔːrk pres/
Line 4
She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.
/ʃiː ɪt wɑːz huːm ðə wɜːrld hæd sent tuː biː nɑːkt daʊn baɪ ə ˈmuːvɪŋ kɑːr soʊ ðæt ðə nuː staɪl ˈfendərz maɪt biː ˈprɑːpərli dɪˈskraɪbd/
Line 5
The girl had also taken a balloon ascension, and written it up for her paper.
/ðə ɡɜːrl hæd ˈɔːlsoʊ ˈteɪkən ə bəˈluːn əˈsenʃən ənd ˈrɪtən ɪt ʌp fɔːr hɜːr ˈpeɪpər/

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.

ascension noun US /əˈsenʃən/

(Christianity) celebration of the Ascension of Christ into heaven; observed on the 40th day after Easter

From this reading “The girl had also taken a balloon ascension, and written it up for her paper.”

balloon noun US /bəˈluːn/

large tough nonrigid bag filled with gas or heated air

From this reading “The girl had also taken a balloon ascension, and written it up for her paper.”

Central adjective US /ˈsentrəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading “When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.”

fenders noun US /ˈfendərz/

plural of “fender” — a barrier that surrounds the wheels of a vehicle to block splashing water or mud

From this reading “She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.”

interviewed verb US /ˈɪntərvjuːd/

past form of “interview” — conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting

From this reading “OUIDA WILL NOT BE INTERVIEWED.”

Tattler noun US /ˈtætlər/

someone who gossips indiscreetly

From this reading “When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.”

Winters noun US /ˈwɪntərz/

plural of “winter” — the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading “When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.”

writer noun US /ˈraɪtər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading “When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

most brilliant adverb + adjective

In this reading “Now, Miss Winters was one of the most brilliant women of the New York press.”

knocked down verb + adjective counted as “knock down”

cause to come or go down

In this reading “She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.”

new style adjective + noun

In this reading “She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.”

returned from verb + particle counted as “return from”

In this reading “When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.”

All words in this reading · 64

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading The girl had also taken a balloon ascension, and written it up for her paper.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The girl had also taken a balloon ascension, and written it up for her paper.

ascensionnounUS /əˈsenʃən/

(Christianity) celebration of the Ascension of Christ into heaven; observed on the 40th day after Easter

From this reading The girl had also taken a balloon ascension, and written it up for her paper.

balloonnounUS /bəˈluːn/

large tough nonrigid bag filled with gas or heated air

From this reading The girl had also taken a balloon ascension, and written it up for her paper.

BEauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading OUIDA WILL NOT BE INTERVIEWED.

brilliantadjectiveUS /ˈbrɪljənt/

of surpassing excellence

From this reading Now, Miss Winters was one of the most brilliant women of the New York press.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

CentraladjectiveUS /ˈsentrəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

DailyadverbUS /ˈdeɪli/

every day; without missing a day

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

describedadjectiveUS /dɪˈskraɪbd/

represented in words especially with sharpness and detail

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

driveverbUS /draɪv/

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

fendersnounUS /ˈfendərz/

plural of “fender” — a barrier that surrounds the wheels of a vehicle to block splashing water or mud

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading The girl had also taken a balloon ascension, and written it up for her paper.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

INTERVIEWEDverbUS /ˈɪntərvjuːd/

past form of “interview” — conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting

From this reading OUIDA WILL NOT BE INTERVIEWED.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

knockedverbUS /nɑːkt/

past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Now, Miss Winters was one of the most brilliant women of the New York press.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Now, Miss Winters was one of the most brilliant women of the New York press.

movingadjectiveUS /ˈmuːvɪŋ/

in motion

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Now, Miss Winters was one of the most brilliant women of the New York press.

NOTadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading OUIDA WILL NOT BE INTERVIEWED.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Now, Miss Winters was one of the most brilliant women of the New York press.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Now, Miss Winters was one of the most brilliant women of the New York press.

Olivia

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

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Now, Miss Winters was one of the most brilliant women of the New York press.

OUIDA

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

From this reading OUIDA WILL NOT BE INTERVIEWED.

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading The girl had also taken a balloon ascension, and written it up for her paper.

ParknounUS /pɑːrk/

a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

pressverbUS /pres/

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading Now, Miss Winters was one of the most brilliant women of the New York press.

properlyadverbUS /ˈprɑːpərli/

in the right manner; correctly; suitably

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

specialadjectiveUS /ˈspeʃəl/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

stylenounUS /staɪl/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading The girl had also taken a balloon ascension, and written it up for her paper.

TattlernounUS /ˈtætlər/

someone who gossips indiscreetly

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading The girl had also taken a balloon ascension, and written it up for her paper.

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Now, Miss Winters was one of the most brilliant women of the New York press.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

WILLmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading OUIDA WILL NOT BE INTERVIEWED.

WintersnounUS /ˈwɪntərz/

plural of “winter” — the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Now, Miss Winters was one of the most brilliant women of the New York press.

WorldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading She it was whom the World had sent to be knocked down by a moving car, so that the new style fenders might be properly described.

writernounUS /ˈraɪtər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading When Ouida returned from her drive through Central Park, she found in waiting, Olivia Winters, special writer for the Daily Tattler.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading The girl had also taken a balloon ascension, and written it up for her paper.

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading Now, Miss Winters was one of the most brilliant women of the New York press.

Chapter 8 of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress by Melvin G. Winstock holds 47 sentences, grouped into 10 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.

What does chapter 8 of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress contain?

Chapter 8 holds 47 sentences of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress by Melvin G. Winstock exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 47 sentences, grouped into 10 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 8 of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress?

Work through the 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 10 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress

Common questions about reading "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress by Melvin G. Winstock on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress?

Yes. All 1904 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #65318 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #65318, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress take to read?

About 158 minutes of reading across 381 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress section by section

How to work through "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress 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 "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress

Words and structures a reader meets early in "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Leadville
A word that appears in the opening chapter of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Western
A word that appears in the opening chapter of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Politician
A word that appears in the opening chapter of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fatal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.