Chapter 3 of A Servant of the Public is here in full — 268 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of A Servant of the Public is here in full — 268 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY "Elizabeth Aurora Pinsent; that's it. But Elizabeth was too solemn, and Betty was too familiar, and Aurora too absurd. So I'm just Ora." Lord Bowdon nodded gravely. "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
Chapter 3 of A Servant of the Public is here in full — 268 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/53 · 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.
inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense
From this reading “But Elizabeth was too solemn, and Betty was too familiar, and Aurora too absurd.”
the thing arranged or agreed to
From this reading “AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY "Elizabeth Aurora Pinsent; that's it.”
the first light of day
From this reading “AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY "Elizabeth Aurora Pinsent; that's it.”
daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)
From this reading “AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY "Elizabeth Aurora Pinsent; that's it.”
in a grave and sober manner
From this reading “Lord Bowdon nodded gravely.”
plural of “os” — a mouth or mouthlike opening
From this reading “So I'm just Ora."”
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading “"And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."”
possessive form of “world” — everything that exists anywhere
From this reading “"And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."”
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.
In this reading “Lord Bowdon nodded gravely.”
In this reading “"And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."”
In this reading “But Elizabeth was too solemn, and Betty was too familiar, and Aurora too absurd.”
In this reading “"And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."”
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
In this reading “"And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."”
In this reading “But Elizabeth was too solemn, and Betty was too familiar, and Aurora too absurd.”
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.
inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense
From this reading But Elizabeth was too solemn, and Betty was too familiar, and Aurora too absurd.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY "Elizabeth Aurora Pinsent; that's it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But Elizabeth was too solemn, and Betty was too familiar, and Aurora too absurd.
the thing arranged or agreed to
From this reading AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY "Elizabeth Aurora Pinsent; that's it.
the first light of day
From this reading AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY "Elizabeth Aurora Pinsent; that's it.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Elizabeth was too solemn, and Betty was too familiar, and Aurora too absurd.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lord Bowdon nodded gravely.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Elizabeth was too solemn, and Betty was too familiar, and Aurora too absurd.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)
From this reading AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY "Elizabeth Aurora Pinsent; that's it.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading But Elizabeth was too solemn, and Betty was too familiar, and Aurora too absurd.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY "Elizabeth Aurora Pinsent; that's it.
in a grave and sober manner
From this reading Lord Bowdon nodded gravely.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So I'm just Ora."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY "Elizabeth Aurora Pinsent; that's it.
and nothing more
From this reading So I'm just Ora."
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading Lord Bowdon nodded gravely.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading Lord Bowdon nodded gravely.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
plural of “os” — a mouth or mouthlike opening
From this reading So I'm just Ora."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY "Elizabeth Aurora Pinsent; that's it.
on the contrary
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So I'm just Ora."
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises
From this reading But Elizabeth was too solemn, and Betty was too familiar, and Aurora too absurd.
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY "Elizabeth Aurora Pinsent; that's it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY "Elizabeth Aurora Pinsent; that's it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading But Elizabeth was too solemn, and Betty was too familiar, and Aurora too absurd.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But Elizabeth was too solemn, and Betty was too familiar, and Aurora too absurd.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
possessive form of “world” — everything that exists anywhere
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "And I think," she went on, lying back on the sofa, "that the world's rather dull, and that you're rather like the world this afternoon."
Chapter 3 of A Servant of the Public by Anthony Hope holds 268 sentences, grouped into 54 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 3 holds 268 sentences of A Servant of the Public, unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of A Servant of the Public by Anthony Hope exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 268 sentences, grouped into 54 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 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 54 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 3 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 Servant of the Public by Anthony Hope on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6458 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48642 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #48642, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 538 minutes of reading across 1292 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Servant of the Public section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of A Servant of the Public 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 Servant of the Public, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
