Chapter 36 of Hard Pressed is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXVI
Chapter 36 of Hard Pressed is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
LOOSENING THE GRIP Fielden's last thrust went home. Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face. Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before. And never did he feel less able to resist the reproach. "You are going too far," was all he could say.
Chapter 36 of Hard Pressed is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading “Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face.”
having the pinkish flush of health
From this reading “Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face.”
the act of grasping
From this reading “LOOSENING THE GRIP Fielden's last thrust went home.”
an occurrence of control or strength weakening
From this reading “LOOSENING THE GRIP Fielden's last thrust went home.”
a mild rebuke or criticism
From this reading “And never did he feel less able to resist the reproach.”
elude, especially in a baffling way
From this reading “And never did he feel less able to resist the reproach.”
push forcefully
From this reading “LOOSENING THE GRIP Fielden's last thrust went home.”
past form of “wince” — draw back, as with fear or pain
From this reading “Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
return home
In this reading “LOOSENING THE GRIP Fielden's last thrust went home.”
In this reading “Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.”
In this reading “And never did he feel less able to resist the reproach.”
In this reading “Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.”
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.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading And never did he feel less able to resist the reproach.
(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 "You are going too far," was all he could say.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face.
any person at all
From this reading Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "You are going too far," was all he could say.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "You are going too far," was all he could say.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading And never did he feel less able to resist the reproach.
at any time
From this reading Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading "You are going too far," was all he could say.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading And never did he feel less able to resist the reproach.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LOOSENING THE GRIP Fielden's last thrust went home.
having the pinkish flush of health
From this reading Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face.
the act of departing
From this reading "You are going too far," was all he could say.
the act of grasping
From this reading LOOSENING THE GRIP Fielden's last thrust went home.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And never did he feel less able to resist the reproach.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading LOOSENING THE GRIP Fielden's last thrust went home.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.
immediately past
From this reading LOOSENING THE GRIP Fielden's last thrust went home.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading And never did he feel less able to resist the reproach.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.
an occurrence of control or strength weakening
From this reading LOOSENING THE GRIP Fielden's last thrust went home.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face.
a mild rebuke or criticism
From this reading And never did he feel less able to resist the reproach.
elude, especially in a baffling way
From this reading And never did he feel less able to resist the reproach.
express in words
From this reading "You are going too far," was all he could say.
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face.
term of address for a man
From this reading Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading LOOSENING THE GRIP Fielden's last thrust went home.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.
push forcefully
From this reading LOOSENING THE GRIP Fielden's last thrust went home.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Never in the course of his life had anybody ever spoken to him like this before.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "You are going too far," was all he could say.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "You are going too far," was all he could say.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading LOOSENING THE GRIP Fielden's last thrust went home.
past form of “wince” — draw back, as with fear or pain
From this reading Sir George fairly winced and the red of shame flushed his face.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You are going too far," was all he could say.
Chapter 36 of Hard Pressed by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White holds 125 sentences, grouped into 25 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 36 holds 125 sentences of Hard Pressed, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 36 of Hard Pressed by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 125 sentences, grouped into 25 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 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 25 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 36 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 Hard Pressed by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5056 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33512 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33512, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 421 minutes of reading across 1012 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Hard Pressed section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Hard Pressed 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 Hard Pressed, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
