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A quiet valley
A quiet valley

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of A quiet valley is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A quiet valley
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
JOAN’S MOTHER.
“NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.
“Please tell me everything quickly.
The dinner-bell will sound in a few minutes.”
“We may as well sit down meantime,” George said.
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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 quiet valley

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of A quiet valley is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
JOAN’S MOTHER.
Line 2
“NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.
Line 3
“Please tell me everything quickly.
/pliːz tel miː ˈevriθɪŋ ˈkwɪkli/
Line 4
The dinner-bell will sound in a few minutes.”
Line 5
“We may as well sit down meantime,” George said.
/wiː meɪ æz wel sɪt daʊn ˈmiːntaɪm dʒɔːrdʒ sed/

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.

George noun US /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading ““We may as well sit down meantime,” George said.”

husband noun US /ˈhʌzbənd/

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading ““NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.”

kissing noun US /ˈkɪsɪŋ/

affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)

From this reading ““NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.”

meantime noun US /ˈmiːntaɪm/

the time between one event, process, or period and another

From this reading ““We may as well sit down meantime,” George said.”

please verb US /pliːz/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading ““NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.”

quickly adverb US /ˈkwɪkli/

with speed

From this reading ““Please tell me everything quickly.”

sit verb US /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading ““We may as well sit down meantime,” George said.”

vigorously adverb US /ˈvɪɡərəsli/

with vigor; in a vigorous manner

From this reading ““NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.”

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.

few minutes adjective + noun

In this reading “The dinner-bell will sound in a few minutes.””

sit down verb + adjective

take a seat

In this reading ““We may as well sit down meantime,” George said.”

once more adverb + adjective

anew

In this reading ““NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.”

stood before verb + particle

In this reading ““NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.”

All words in this reading · 43

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 The dinner-bell will sound in a few minutes.”

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading “We may as well sit down meantime,” George said.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

beseechinglyadverb

in a beseeching manner

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

dinner-bell

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

From this reading The dinner-bell will sound in a few minutes.”

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading “We may as well sit down meantime,” George said.

dry-clothed

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

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

Dulcibel

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

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading “Please tell me everything quickly.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading The dinner-bell will sound in a few minutes.”

GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading “We may as well sit down meantime,” George said.

Georgie

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

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The dinner-bell will sound in a few minutes.”

Joan

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

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

JOAN'S

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

From this reading JOAN’S MOTHER.

kissingnounUS /ˈkɪsɪŋ/

affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading “We may as well sit down meantime,” George said.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “Please tell me everything quickly.

meantimenounUS /ˈmiːntaɪm/

the time between one event, process, or period and another

From this reading “We may as well sit down meantime,” George said.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading The dinner-bell will sound in a few minutes.”

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

MOTHERnounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading JOAN’S MOTHER.

NOWadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

pleaseverbUS /pliːz/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/

with speed

From this reading “Please tell me everything quickly.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

sitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading “We may as well sit down meantime,” George said.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading The dinner-bell will sound in a few minutes.”

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading “Please tell me everything quickly.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The dinner-bell will sound in a few minutes.”

vigorouslyadverbUS /ˈvɪɡərəsli/

with vigor; in a vigorous manner

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “We may as well sit down meantime,” George said.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading “We may as well sit down meantime,” George said.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading “NOW, Georgie, please,” Dulcibel said beseechingly, when her husband stood before her, dry-clothed once more, Joan vigorously kissing one of his hands.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading The dinner-bell will sound in a few minutes.”

Chapter 4 of A quiet valley by Agnes Giberne holds 197 sentences, grouped into 40 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 4 of A quiet valley contain?

Chapter 4 holds 197 sentences of A quiet valley, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of A quiet valley by Agnes Giberne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 197 sentences, grouped into 40 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 4 of A quiet valley?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading A quiet valley

Common questions about reading A quiet valley by Agnes Giberne on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A quiet valley?

Yes. All 5356 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #71132 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A quiet valley is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #71132, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A quiet valley take to read?

About 446 minutes of reading across 1072 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A quiet valley section by section

How to work through A quiet valley section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of A quiet valley 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 quiet valley

Words and structures a reader meets early in A quiet valley, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Gwendoline
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A quiet valley; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Halcots
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A quiet valley; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Halcombes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A quiet valley; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Through
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A quiet valley; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.