Chapter 4 of Captivating Mary Carstairs is here in full — 364 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Captivating Mary Carstairs is here in full — 364 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk. Peter's lip tightened. "He's dead, poor chap!" he said, in a low voice. "Murdered." "So it seems.
Chapter 4 of Captivating Mary Carstairs is here in full — 364 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/72 · 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.
a boy or man
From this reading “"He's dead, poor chap!" he said, in a low voice.”
plural of “concern” — something that interests you because it is important or affects you
From this reading “WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.”
either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading “Peter's lip tightened.”
relating to or applicable to or concerned with the administration of a city or town or district rather than a larger area
From this reading “WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.”
killed unlawfully
From this reading “"Murdered."”
possessive form of “peter” — disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading “Peter's lip tightened.”
social relations involving intrigue to gain authority or power
From this reading “WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.”
past form of “tighten” — make tight or tighter
From this reading “Peter's lip tightened.”
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 "He's dead, poor chap!" he said, in a low voice.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
a boy or man
From this reading "He's dead, poor chap!" he said, in a low voice.
plural of “concern” — something that interests you because it is important or affects you
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading "He's dead, poor chap!" he said, in a low voice.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "He's dead, poor chap!" he said, in a low voice.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's dead, poor chap!" he said, in a low voice.
not in action or at work
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "He's dead, poor chap!" he said, in a low voice.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Peter's lip tightened.
relating to or applicable to or concerned with the administration of a city or town or district rather than a larger area
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading "He's dead, poor chap!" he said, in a low voice.
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
killed unlawfully
From this reading "Murdered."
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
not divisible by two
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
possessive form of “peter” — disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading Peter's lip tightened.
social relations involving intrigue to gain authority or power
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading "He's dead, poor chap!" he said, in a low voice.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "He's dead, poor chap!" he said, in a low voice.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "So it seems.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "So it seems.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
past form of “tighten” — make tight or tighter
From this reading Peter's lip tightened.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "He's dead, poor chap!" he said, in a low voice.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading WHICH CONCERNS POLITICS AND OTHER LOCAL MATTERS It was an odd sight against the setting of pretty night and light, idle talk.
Chapter 4 of Captivating Mary Carstairs by Henry Sydnor Harrison holds 364 sentences, grouped into 73 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 4 holds 364 sentences of Captivating Mary Carstairs, unabridged, divided into 73 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Captivating Mary Carstairs by Henry Sydnor Harrison exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 364 sentences, grouped into 73 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 73 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 73 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 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.
Common questions about reading Captivating Mary Carstairs by Henry Sydnor Harrison on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5879 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9993 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9993, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 489 minutes of reading across 1176 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Captivating Mary Carstairs section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of Captivating Mary Carstairs 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 Captivating Mary Carstairs, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
