Chapter 1 of Dolly Dialogues is here in full — 294 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Dolly Dialogues is here in full — 294 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Let me see. Where was I? Oh, here. ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you. Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
Chapter 1 of Dolly Dialogues is here in full — 294 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/58 · 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.
Englishman and Egyptologist who in 1922 discovered and excavated the tomb of Tutankhamen (1873-1939)
From this reading “Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?”
plural of “chance” — a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading “‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.”
a town in northwestern Canada in the Yukon on the Yukon River; a boom town around 1900 when gold was discovered in the Klondike
From this reading “Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?”
talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions
From this reading “‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.”
plural of “meadow” — a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay
From this reading “Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?”
a person who is very poor
From this reading “Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?”
a person regarded as arrogant and annoying
From this reading “Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?”
increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity
From this reading “Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?”
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 Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
Englishman and Egyptologist who in 1922 discovered and excavated the tomb of Tutankhamen (1873-1939)
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
plural of “chance” — a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
a town in northwestern Canada in the Yukon on the Yukon River; a boom town around 1900 when gold was discovered in the Klondike
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
a boy or man
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
the act of departing
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Oh, here.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Where was I?
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “Let me see.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Let me see.
plural of “meadow” — a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
the force of workers available
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
a form of address for a man
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh, here.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
a person who is very poor
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
possessing material wealth
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Let me see.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
ludicrous, foolish
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
a person regarded as arrogant and annoying
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity
From this reading Archie Mickleham may not be a genius, but he’s a good fellow and a swell and rich; and he’s not a pauper, like Phil Meadows, or a snob like Charlie Dawson, or--’ shall I go on, Mr. Carter?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
propel through the air
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Where was I?
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
in or at the place that
From this reading Where was I?
which person or people
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
in the company of; together with
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ‘I thought you were going to be silly and throw away your chances on some of the men who used to flirt with you.
Chapter 1 of Dolly Dialogues by Anthony Hope holds 294 sentences, grouped into 59 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 294 sentences of Dolly Dialogues, unabridged, divided into 59 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Dolly Dialogues by Anthony Hope exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 294 sentences, grouped into 59 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 59 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 59 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 Dolly Dialogues by Anthony Hope on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1763 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1203 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1203, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 146 minutes of reading across 353 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Dolly Dialogues section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of Dolly Dialogues 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 Dolly Dialogues, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
