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By Order of the Company
By Order of the Company

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of By Order of the Company is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.
When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.
Further on I tried again.
"That is Kent's, yonder.
He brought his wife from home last year.
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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.

By Order of the Company

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of By Order of the Company is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.
Line 2
When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.
Line 3
Further on I tried again.
/ˈfɜːrðər ɑːn aɪ traɪd əˈɡen/
Line 4
"That is Kent's, yonder.
/ðæt ɪz kents ˈjɑːndər/
Line 5
He brought his wife from home last year.
/hiː brɔːt hɪz waɪf frʌm hoʊm læst jɪr/

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.

contemplation noun US /ˌkɑːntəmˈpleɪʃən/

a long and thoughtful observation

From this reading “When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.”

ending noun US /ˈendɪŋ/

the end of a word (a suffix or inflectional ending or final morpheme)

From this reading “In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.”

Kent's noun US /kents/

possessive form of “kent” — a county in southeastern England on the English Channel; formerly an Anglo-Saxon kingdom, it was the first to be colonized by the Romans

From this reading “"That is Kent's, yonder.”

negative adjective US /ˈneɡətɪv/

characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features

From this reading “When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.”

prolonged adjective US /prəˈlɔːŋd/

relatively long in duration; tediously protracted

From this reading “In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.”

relapsed verb US /riˈlæpst/

past form of “relapse” — deteriorate in health

From this reading “When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.”

Repent verb US /rɪˈpent/

turn away from sin or do penitence

From this reading “In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.”

Smith's noun US /smɪθs/

possessive form of “smith” — Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading “In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.”

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.

relapsed into verb + particle counted as “relapse into”

In this reading “When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.”

at length preposition + noun

in a lengthy or prolix manner

In this reading “When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.”

last year adjective + noun

In this reading “He brought his wife from home last year.”

succeeded in verb + particle counted as “succeed in”

In this reading “When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.”

at Leisure preposition + noun

in an unhurried way or at one's convenience

In this reading “In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.”

by asking preposition + noun

In this reading “In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.”

in a tone preposition + article + noun counted as “in … tone”

In this reading “When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.”

from home preposition + noun

In this reading “He brought his wife from home last year.”

All words in this reading · 77

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 When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

abstracting

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

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Further on I tried again.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

askingnounUS /ˈæskɪŋ/

the verbal act of requesting

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

attentionnounUS /əˈtenʃən/

the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

banknounUS /bæŋk/

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading He brought his wife from home last year.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

Chickahominy

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

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

cloudsnounUS /klaʊdz/

plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

contemplationnounUS /ˌkɑːntəmˈpleɪʃən/

a long and thoughtful observation

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

endingnounUS /ˈendɪŋ/

the end of a word (a suffix or inflectional ending or final morpheme)

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

expeditionnounUS /ˌekspəˈdɪʃən/

a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

fearedverbUS /fɪrd/

past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

FurtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading Further on I tried again.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He brought his wife from home last year.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He brought his wife from home last year.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading He brought his wife from home last year.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

indifferencenounUS /ˌɪnˈdɪfərəns/

unbiased impartial unconcern

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "That is Kent's, yonder.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

Kent'snounUS /kents/

possessive form of “kent” — a county in southeastern England on the English Channel; formerly an Anglo-Saxon kingdom, it was the first to be colonized by the Romans

From this reading "That is Kent's, yonder.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading He brought his wife from home last year.

LeisurenounUS /ˈleʒər/

time available for ease and relaxation

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

LikeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

mouthnounUS /maʊθ/

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

negativeadjectiveUS /ˈneɡətɪv/

characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Further on I tried again.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

pointingverbUS /ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/

-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

prolongedadjectiveUS /prəˈlɔːŋd/

relatively long in duration; tediously protracted

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

relapsedverbUS /riˈlæpst/

past form of “relapse” — deteriorate in health

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

RepentverbUS /rɪˈpent/

turn away from sin or do penitence

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

savagesnounUS /ˈsævədʒəz/

plural of “savage” — a member of an uncivilized people

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

Smith'snounUS /smɪθs/

possessive form of “smith” — Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

succeededverbUS /səkˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

supremest

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

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

tellingadjectiveUS /ˈtelɪŋ/

disclosing unintentionally something concealed

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

tonenounUS /toʊn/

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

triedadjectiveUS /traɪd/

tested and proved useful or correct

From this reading Further on I tried again.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

weathernounUS /ˈweðər/

the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation

From this reading When at length she succeeded in abstracting her attention from the clouds, it was to answer in the negative, in a tone of the supremest indifference, after which she relapsed into her contemplation of the weather.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading In which I am Like to Repent at Leisure When we had passed the mouth of the Chickahominy, I broke the silence, now prolonged beyond reason, by pointing to the village upon its bank, and telling her something of Smith's expedition up that river, ending by asking her if she feared the savages.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading He brought his wife from home last year.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading He brought his wife from home last year.

yonderadjectiveUS /ˈjɑːndər/

distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)

From this reading "That is Kent's, yonder.

Chapter 4 of By Order of the Company by Mary Johnston holds 195 sentences, grouped into 39 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 By Order of the Company contain?

Chapter 4 holds 195 sentences of By Order of the Company, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of By Order of the Company by Mary Johnston exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 195 sentences, grouped into 39 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 By Order of the Company?

Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 39 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 By Order of the Company

Common questions about reading By Order of the Company by Mary Johnston on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of By Order of the Company?

Yes. All 6794 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45721 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of By Order of the Company is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #45721, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does By Order of the Company take to read?

About 566 minutes of reading across 1359 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read By Order of the Company section by section

How to work through By Order of the Company section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of By Order of the Company 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 By Order of the Company

Words and structures a reader meets early in By Order of the Company, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Recommended
A word that appears in the opening chapter of By Order of the Company; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Guardian
A word that appears in the opening chapter of By Order of the Company; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stirring
A word that appears in the opening chapter of By Order of the Company; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Adventure
A word that appears in the opening chapter of By Order of the Company; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.