Colonel Quaritch, V.C.

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Colonel Quaritch, V.C. is here in full — 165 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Colonel Quaritch, V.C.

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE SQUIRE EXPLAINS THE POSITION “I don’t know what is coming to this country, I really don’t; and that’s a fact,” said the Squire to his companion, after they had walked some paces in silence.

“Here is the farm, the Moat Farm.

It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

Now I have reduced it and reduced it to fifteen, just in order to keep the tenant.

And what is the end of it?

Narrator

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.

Chapter IV Reading 1/33

Colonel Quaritch, V.C.

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Colonel Quaritch, V.C. is here in full — 165 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

“Here is the farm, the Moat Farm.

/hiːr ɪz ðə fɑːrm ðə moʊt fɑːrm/

Line 3

It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

/ɪt fetʃt ˈtwentifaɪv ˈʃɪlɪŋz æn ˈeɪkər wen aɪ wɑːz ə jʌŋ mæn ənd eɪt jɪrz əˈɡoʊ ɪt juːzd tuː fetʃ ˈθɜːrdifaɪv/

Line 4

Now I have reduced it and reduced it to fifteen, just in order to keep the tenant.

/naʊ aɪ hæv rəˈduːst ɪt ənd rəˈduːst ɪt tuː fɪfˈtiːn dʒʌst ɪn ˈɔːrdər tuː kiːp ðə ˈtenənt/

Line 5

And what is the end of it?

/ənd wʌt ɪz ðə end ʌv ɪt/

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.

acre noun US /ˈeɪkər/

a unit of area (4840 square yards) used in English-speaking countries

From this reading “It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.”

explains verb US /ɪkˈspleɪnz/

third-person singular of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

From this reading “THE SQUIRE EXPLAINS THE POSITION “I don’t know what is coming to this country, I really don’t; and that’s a fact,” said the Squire to his companion, after they had walked some paces in silence.”

fetched verb US /fetʃt/

past form of “fetch” — go or come after and bring or take back

From this reading “It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.”

Moat noun US /moʊt/

ditch dug as a fortification and usually filled with water

From this reading ““Here is the farm, the Moat Farm.”

paces noun US /ˈpeɪsɪz/

plural of “pace” — the rate of moving (especially walking or running)

shillings noun US /ˈʃɪlɪŋz/

plural of “shilling” — the basic unit of money in Uganda; equal to 100 cents

From this reading “It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.”

tenant noun US /ˈtenənt/

someone who pays rent to use land or a building or a car that is owned by someone else

From this reading “Now I have reduced it and reduced it to fifteen, just in order to keep the tenant.”

thirty-five adjective US /ˈθɜːrdifaɪv/

being five more than thirty

From this reading “It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.”

All words in this reading · 58

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 THE SQUIRE EXPLAINS THE POSITION “I don’t know what is coming to this country, I really don’t; and that’s a fact,” said the Squire to his companion, after they had walked some paces in silence.

acrenounUS /ˈeɪkər/

a unit of area (4840 square yards) used in English-speaking countries

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

don't

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

eightadjectiveUS /eɪt/

being one more than seven

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading And what is the end of it?

EXPLAINSverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnz/

third-person singular of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

farmverbUS /fɑːrm/

be a farmer; work as a farmer

From this reading “Here is the farm, the Moat Farm.

fetchverbUS /fetʃ/

go or come after and bring or take back

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

fetchedverbUS /fetʃt/

past form of “fetch” — go or come after and bring or take back

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

fifteennounUS /fɪfˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one

From this reading Now I have reduced it and reduced it to fifteen, just in order to keep the tenant.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Now I have reduced it and reduced it to fifteen, just in order to keep the tenant.

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading “Here is the farm, the Moat Farm.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Now I have reduced it and reduced it to fifteen, just in order to keep the tenant.

keepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading Now I have reduced it and reduced it to fifteen, just in order to keep the tenant.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

MoatnounUS /moʊt/

ditch dug as a fortification and usually filled with water

From this reading “Here is the farm, the Moat Farm.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading Now I have reduced it and reduced it to fifteen, just in order to keep the tenant.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And what is the end of it?

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading Now I have reduced it and reduced it to fifteen, just in order to keep the tenant.

pacesnounUS /ˈpeɪsɪz/

plural of “pace” — the rate of moving (especially walking or running)

POSITIONnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/

the particular portion of space occupied by something

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

reducedadjectiveUS /rəˈduːst/

made less in size or amount or degree

From this reading Now I have reduced it and reduced it to fifteen, just in order to keep the tenant.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

shillingsnounUS /ˈʃɪlɪŋz/

plural of “shilling” — the basic unit of money in Uganda; equal to 100 cents

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

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

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

SQUIREnounUS /skwaɪr/

young nobleman attendant on a knight

tenantnounUS /ˈtenənt/

someone who pays rent to use land or a building or a car that is owned by someone else

From this reading Now I have reduced it and reduced it to fifteen, just in order to keep the tenant.

that's

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

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

thirty-fiveadjectiveUS /ˈθɜːrdifaɪv/

being five more than thirty

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

twenty-fiveadjectiveUS /ˈtwentifaɪv/

being five more than twenty

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading It fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five.

Chapter 4 of Colonel Quaritch, V.C. by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard holds 165 sentences, grouped into 33 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 Colonel Quaritch, V.C. contain?

Chapter 4 holds 165 sentences of Colonel Quaritch, V.C., unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Colonel Quaritch, V.C. by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 165 sentences, grouped into 33 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 Colonel Quaritch, V.C.?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 Colonel Quaritch, V.C.

Common questions about reading Colonel Quaritch, V.C. by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Colonel Quaritch, V.C.?

Yes. All 5756 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11882 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Colonel Quaritch, V.C. is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #11882, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Colonel Quaritch, V.C. take to read?

About 479 minutes of reading across 1152 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Colonel Quaritch, V.C. section by section

How to work through Colonel Quaritch, V.C. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 40 chapters of Colonel Quaritch, V.C. to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Colonel Quaritch, V.C.

Words and structures a reader meets early in Colonel Quaritch, V.C., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Colonel: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Colonel Quaritch, V.C.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Quaritch: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Colonel Quaritch, V.C.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Contemplating: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Colonel Quaritch, V.C.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
These: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Colonel Quaritch, V.C.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

What does chapter 4 of Colonel Quaritch, V.C. contain?

How do I study chapter 4 of Colonel Quaritch, V.C.?

Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Colonel Quaritch, V.C.

How to read Colonel Quaritch, V.C. section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Colonel Quaritch, V.C.