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A Strange, Sad Comedy
A Strange, Sad Comedy

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of A Strange, Sad Comedy is here in full — 435 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Molly Elliot Seawell • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Strange, Sad Comedy
Context Illustration Reading 1/87 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.
For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.
“W-where did you come from?” she cried, breathlessly.
“From Newport,” answered Farebrother, still laughing at Letty’s face.
“And how did you come?”
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Strange, Sad Comedy

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of A Strange, Sad Comedy is here in full — 435 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/87 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.
Line 2
For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.
Line 3
“W-where did you come from?” she cried, breathlessly.
Line 4
“From Newport,” answered Farebrother, still laughing at Letty’s face.
Line 5
“And how did you come?”

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.

approaching noun US /əˈproʊtʃɪŋ/

the event of one object coming closer to another

From this reading “Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
astonished adjective US /əˈstɑːnɪʃt/

filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock

From this reading “For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breathlessly adverb US /ˈbreθləsli/

in a breathless manner

From this reading ““W-where did you come from?” she cried, breathlessly.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
editorial adjective US /ˌedəˈtɔːriəl/

of or relating to an article stating opinions or giving perspectives

From this reading “Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Newport noun US /ˈnuːpɔːrt/

a port city in southeastern Wales

From this reading ““From Newport,” answered Farebrother, still laughing at Letty’s face.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
newspaper noun US /ˈnuːzpeɪpər/

a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

From this reading “Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
realized adjective US /ˈriːəlaɪzd/

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading “Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tariff noun US /ˈterəf/

a government tax on imports or exports

From this reading “Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

picked up verb + adjective counted as “pick up”

take and lift upward

In this reading “Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.”

46,633 times in 426,211 chapters
stared at verb + particle counted as “stare at”

In this reading “For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.”

31,384 times in 426,211 chapters
next moment adjective + noun

In this reading “Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.”

13,990 times in 426,211 chapters
For a moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

In this reading “For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.”

130,343 times in 426,211 chapters
come from verb + particle

In this reading ““W-where did you come from?” she cried, breathlessly.”

89,230 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 54

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 Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading “From Newport,” answered Farebrother, still laughing at Letty’s face.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
approachingnounUS /əˈproʊtʃɪŋ/

the event of one object coming closer to another

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
astonishedadjectiveUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃt/

filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock

From this reading For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breathlesslyadverbUS /ˈbreθləsli/

in a breathless manner

From this reading “W-where did you come from?” she cried, breathlessly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading “W-where did you come from?” she cried, breathlessly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading “W-where did you come from?” she cried, breathlessly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading “W-where did you come from?” she cried, breathlessly.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
drewnounUS /druː/

United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
editorialadjectiveUS /ˌedəˈtɔːriəl/

of or relating to an article stating opinions or giving perspectives

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading “From Newport,” answered Farebrother, still laughing at Letty’s face.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Farebrother

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

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Pending verification
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading “W-where did you come from?” she cried, breathlessly.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herspronounUS /hərz/

the one or ones belonging to her

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
how

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

From this reading “And how did you come?”

Pending verification
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
laughingadjectiveUS /ˈlæfɪŋ/

showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness

From this reading For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Letty

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

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Pending verification
Letty's

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

From this reading “From Newport,” answered Farebrother, still laughing at Letty’s face.

Pending verification
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NewportnounUS /ˈnuːpɔːrt/

a port city in southeastern Wales

From this reading “From Newport,” answered Farebrother, still laughing at Letty’s face.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
newspapernounUS /ˈnuːzpeɪpər/

a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
pickedverbUS /pɪkt/

past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
realizedadjectiveUS /ˈriːəlaɪzd/

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
simplyadverbUS /ˈsɪmpli/

and nothing more

From this reading For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speakverbUS /spiːk/

express in speech

From this reading For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
staredverbUS /sterd/

past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading “From Newport,” answered Farebrother, still laughing at Letty’s face.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tariffnounUS /ˈterəf/

a government tax on imports or exports

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
W-where

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

From this reading “W-where did you come from?” she cried, breathlessly.

Pending verification
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Letty had picked up the newspaper and was deep in an editorial on the tariff, when she realized that some one was approaching, and the next moment Farebrother drew a chair up to hers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading For a moment she was too astonished to speak, and simply stared at him, upon which Farebrother began laughing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “W-where did you come from?” she cried, breathlessly.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 3 of A Strange, Sad Comedy by Molly Elliot Seawell holds 435 sentences, grouped into 87 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 3 of A Strange, Sad Comedy contain?

Chapter 3 holds 435 sentences of A Strange, Sad Comedy, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of A Strange, Sad Comedy by Molly Elliot Seawell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 435 sentences, grouped into 87 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 3 of A Strange, Sad Comedy?

Work through the 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 87 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 3 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading A Strange, Sad Comedy

Common questions about reading A Strange, Sad Comedy by Molly Elliot Seawell on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Strange, Sad Comedy?

Yes. All 2591 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67659 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Strange, Sad Comedy is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #67659, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Strange, Sad Comedy take to read?

About 215 minutes of reading across 519 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Strange, Sad Comedy section by section

How to work through A Strange, Sad Comedy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 6 chapters of A Strange, Sad Comedy 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 Strange, Sad Comedy

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Strange, Sad Comedy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange, Sad Comedy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sprightly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange, Sad Comedy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Romance
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange, Sad Comedy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Marsac
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Strange, Sad Comedy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.