Chapter 4 of Father Payne is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Father Payne is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character. But there is something in what he said, you know. You are rather unpractical! I shall send you back for a bit to London, I think!" "Why on earth do you say that?" said Vincent, looking a little crestfallen.
Chapter 4 of Father Payne is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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 small piece or quantity of something
From this reading “I shall send you back for a bit to London, I think!"”
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading “"That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.”
brought low in spirit
From this reading “"Why on earth do you say that?" said Vincent, looking a little crestfallen.”
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading “"Why on earth do you say that?" said Vincent, looking a little crestfallen.”
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading “I shall send you back for a bit to London, I think!"”
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading “"Why on earth do you say that?" said Vincent, looking a little crestfallen.”
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading “"That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.”
cause to go somewhere
From this reading “I shall send you back for a bit to London, I think!"”
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 I shall send you back for a bit to London, I think!"
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading You are rather unpractical!
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading I shall send you back for a bit to London, I think!"
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading I shall send you back for a bit to London, I think!"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But there is something in what he said, you know.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
brought low in spirit
From this reading "Why on earth do you say that?" said Vincent, looking a little crestfallen.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Why on earth do you say that?" said Vincent, looking a little crestfallen.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading "Why on earth do you say that?" said Vincent, looking a little crestfallen.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But there is something in what he said, you know.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But there is something in what he said, you know.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But there is something in what he said, you know.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading But there is something in what he said, you know.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Why on earth do you say that?" said Vincent, looking a little crestfallen.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading I shall send you back for a bit to London, I think!"
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading "Why on earth do you say that?" said Vincent, looking a little crestfallen.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
on the contrary
From this reading You are rather unpractical!
precisely, exactly
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
express in words
From this reading "Why on earth do you say that?" said Vincent, looking a little crestfallen.
cause to go somewhere
From this reading I shall send you back for a bit to London, I think!"
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading I shall send you back for a bit to London, I think!"
light carried by a boat that indicates the boat's direction; vessels at night carry a red light on the port bow and a green light on the starboard bow
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading But there is something in what he said, you know.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Why on earth do you say that?" said Vincent, looking a little crestfallen.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
in or at that place or location
From this reading But there is something in what he said, you know.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I shall send you back for a bit to London, I think!"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You are rather unpractical!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why on earth do you say that?" said Vincent, looking a little crestfallen.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But there is something in what he said, you know.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why on earth do you say that?" said Vincent, looking a little crestfallen.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "That's all right," said Father Payne, "and I am much obliged to you for the sidelight on my character.
Chapter 4 of Father Payne by Arthur Christopher Benson holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 415 sentences of Father Payne, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Father Payne by Arthur Christopher Benson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 Father Payne by Arthur Christopher Benson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5896 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12264 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12264, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 491 minutes of reading across 1180 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Father Payne section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of Father Payne 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 Father Payne, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
