Chapter 4 of Deep Waters is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Deep Waters is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Did you want to see my husband?” she inquired. The biggest of the three nodded. “Yus,” he said, shortly. “I’m sorry,” said Mrs. Billing, “but he ’ad to go early this morning. Was it anything partikler?”
Chapter 4 of Deep Waters is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
superlative of “big” — above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “The biggest of the three nodded.”
request for payment of a debt
From this reading ““I’m sorry,” said Mrs. Billing, “but he ’ad to go early this morning.”
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading ““I’m sorry,” said Mrs. Billing, “but he ’ad to go early this morning.”
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading ““Did you want to see my husband?” she inquired.”
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading ““Did you want to see my husband?” she inquired.”
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading “The biggest of the three nodded.”
for a short time
From this reading ““Yus,” he said, shortly.”
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading ““I’m sorry,” said Mrs. Billing, “but he ’ad to go early this morning.”
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.
a public promotion of some product or service
From this reading “I’m sorry,” said Mrs. Billing, “but he ’ad to go early this morning.
any thing at all
From this reading Was it anything partikler?”
superlative of “big” — above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The biggest of the three nodded.
request for payment of a debt
From this reading “I’m sorry,” said Mrs. Billing, “but he ’ad to go early this morning.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “I’m sorry,” said Mrs. Billing, “but he ’ad to go early this morning.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “Did you want to see my husband?” she inquired.
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading “I’m sorry,” said Mrs. Billing, “but he ’ad to go early this morning.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “I’m sorry,” said Mrs. Billing, “but he ’ad to go early this morning.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Yus,” he said, shortly.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading “Did you want to see my husband?” she inquired.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m sorry,” said Mrs. Billing, “but he ’ad to go early this morning.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading “Did you want to see my husband?” she inquired.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Was it anything partikler?”
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading “I’m sorry,” said Mrs. Billing, “but he ’ad to go early this morning.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading “I’m sorry,” said Mrs. Billing, “but he ’ad to go early this morning.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Did you want to see my husband?” she inquired.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading The biggest of the three nodded.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The biggest of the three nodded.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Was it anything partikler?”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Yus,” he said, shortly.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Did you want to see my husband?” she inquired.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Did you want to see my husband?” she inquired.
for a short time
From this reading “Yus,” he said, shortly.
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading “I’m sorry,” said Mrs. Billing, “but he ’ad to go early this morning.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The biggest of the three nodded.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “I’m sorry,” said Mrs. Billing, “but he ’ad to go early this morning.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading The biggest of the three nodded.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Did you want to see my husband?” she inquired.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “Did you want to see my husband?” she inquired.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Was it anything partikler?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Did you want to see my husband?” she inquired.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Yus,” he said, shortly.
Chapter 4 of Deep Waters by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs holds 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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 438 sentences of Deep Waters, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Deep Waters by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 Deep Waters by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3129 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11482 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11482, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 260 minutes of reading across 626 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Deep Waters section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Deep Waters 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 Deep Waters, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
