Chapter 1 of An open verdict is here in full — 166 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of An open verdict is here in full — 166 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MRS. DULCIMER HAS HER VIEWS. ‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife. ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley. It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.
Chapter 1 of An open verdict is here in full — 166 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/33 · 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.
Irish philosopher and Anglican bishop who opposed the materialism of Thomas Hobbes (1685-1753)
From this reading “‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.”
plural of “conversation” — the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.
From this reading “It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.”
of concern to or concerning the internal affairs of a nation
From this reading “It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.”
a stringed instrument used in American folk music; an elliptical body and a fretted fingerboard and three strings
From this reading “DULCIMER HAS HER VIEWS.”
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading “It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.”
-ing form of “lift” — raise from a lower to a higher position
From this reading “‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.”
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading “‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.”
a Roman Catholic priest who acts for another higher-ranking clergyman
From this reading “‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife.”
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 “It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.”
In this reading “‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading ‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife.
Irish philosopher and Anglican bishop who opposed the materialism of Thomas Hobbes (1685-1753)
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.
plural of “conversation” — the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.
From this reading It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.
of concern to or concerning the internal affairs of a nation
From this reading It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.
a stringed instrument used in American folk music; an elliptical body and a fretted fingerboard and three strings
From this reading DULCIMER HAS HER VIEWS.
opinion or judgment
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
a competitor thought likely to win
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading ‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading DULCIMER HAS HER VIEWS.
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading DULCIMER HAS HER VIEWS.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife.
-ing form of “lift” — raise from a lower to a higher position
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading ‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading MRS.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
past form of “retort” — answer back
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading ‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife.
term of address for a man
From this reading ‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife.
having great beauty and splendor
From this reading ‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.
a Roman Catholic priest who acts for another higher-ranking clergyman
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife.
plural of “view” — a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading DULCIMER HAS HER VIEWS.
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading It was the Vicar’s way in these _tête-à-tête_ conversations by the domestic hearth.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading ‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading ‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife.
Chapter 1 of An open verdict by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon holds 166 sentences, grouped into 34 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 1 holds 166 sentences of An open verdict, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of An open verdict by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 166 sentences, grouped into 34 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 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 34 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 1 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 An open verdict by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3332 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67237 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #67237, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 277 minutes of reading across 667 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through An open verdict section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of An open verdict 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 An open verdict, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
