Chapter 3 of Dolly Dialogues is here in full — 289 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Dolly Dialogues is here in full — 289 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?” I asked. Hilary grinned covertly. Mrs. Hilary pulled the lamp nearer, and took up her embroidery. “Do you always work the same pattern?” said I.
Chapter 3 of Dolly Dialogues is here in full — 289 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/57 · 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.
cattle that are reared for their meat
From this reading ““Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?””
show off
From this reading ““Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?””
in a covert manner
From this reading “Hilary grinned covertly.”
inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food
From this reading ““Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?””
elaboration of an interpretation by the use of decorative (sometimes fictitious) detail
From this reading “Mrs. Hilary pulled the lamp nearer, and took up her embroidery.”
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading “Hilary grinned covertly.”
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading “Mrs. Hilary pulled the lamp nearer, and took up her embroidery.”
a perceptual structure
From this reading ““Do you always work the same pattern?” said I.”
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 “Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?”
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading “Do you always work the same pattern?” said I.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mrs. Hilary pulled the lamp nearer, and took up her embroidery.
any thing at all
From this reading “Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?”
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I asked.
cattle that are reared for their meat
From this reading “Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?”
show off
From this reading “Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?”
in a covert manner
From this reading Hilary grinned covertly.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Do you always work the same pattern?” said I.
inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food
From this reading “Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?”
elaboration of an interpretation by the use of decorative (sometimes fictitious) detail
From this reading Mrs. Hilary pulled the lamp nearer, and took up her embroidery.
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading Hilary grinned covertly.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Hilary pulled the lamp nearer, and took up her embroidery.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hilary grinned covertly.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I asked.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?”
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading Mrs. Hilary pulled the lamp nearer, and took up her embroidery.
engage in
From this reading “Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?”
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Hilary pulled the lamp nearer, and took up her embroidery.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading Mrs. Hilary pulled the lamp nearer, and took up her embroidery.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?”
a perceptual structure
From this reading “Do you always work the same pattern?” said I.
a human being
From this reading “Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?”
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading Mrs. Hilary pulled the lamp nearer, and took up her embroidery.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Do you always work the same pattern?” said I.
Identical; not different.
From this reading “Do you always work the same pattern?” said I.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mrs. Hilary pulled the lamp nearer, and took up her embroidery.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Mrs. Hilary pulled the lamp nearer, and took up her embroidery.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Mrs. Hilary pulled the lamp nearer, and took up her embroidery.
which person or people
From this reading “Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?”
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading “Do you always work the same pattern?” said I.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Would a person who had never eaten anything but beef make a boast of it?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Do you always work the same pattern?” said I.
Chapter 3 of Dolly Dialogues by Anthony Hope holds 289 sentences, grouped into 58 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 3 holds 289 sentences of Dolly Dialogues, unabridged, divided into 58 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Dolly Dialogues by Anthony Hope exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 289 sentences, grouped into 58 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 58 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 58 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 3 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, unabridged. 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.
