Chapter 4 of Hearts and Masks is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Hearts and Masks is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat. "The worst has come: the police!" dramatically. "Gracious heavens, _this_ is frightful! We shall never get out now. Oh dear!
Chapter 4 of Hearts and Masks is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
in a very impressive manner
From this reading “"The worst has come: the police!" dramatically.”
provoking horror
From this reading “"Gracious heavens, _this_ is frightful!”
characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit
From this reading “"Gracious heavens, _this_ is frightful!”
the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected
From this reading “"Gracious heavens, _this_ is frightful!”
past form of “motion” — show, express or direct through movement
From this reading “"What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat.”
the force of policemen and officers
From this reading “"The worst has come: the police!" dramatically.”
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
From this reading “"What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat.”
the least favorable outcome
From this reading “"The worst has come: the police!" dramatically.”
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.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "The worst has come: the police!" dramatically.
dearly loved
From this reading Oh dear!
in a very impressive manner
From this reading "The worst has come: the police!" dramatically.
provoking horror
From this reading "Gracious heavens, _this_ is frightful!
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading We shall never get out now.
a young female
From this reading "What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat.
characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit
From this reading "Gracious heavens, _this_ is frightful!
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "The worst has come: the police!" dramatically.
the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected
From this reading "Gracious heavens, _this_ is frightful!
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat.
past form of “motion” — show, express or direct through movement
From this reading "What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading We shall never get out now.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading We shall never get out now.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh dear!
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading We shall never get out now.
the force of policemen and officers
From this reading "The worst has come: the police!" dramatically.
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
From this reading "What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading We shall never get out now.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Gracious heavens, _this_ is frightful!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We shall never get out now.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat.
the least favorable outcome
From this reading "The worst has come: the police!" dramatically.
Chapter 4 of Hearts and Masks by Harold MacGrath holds 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 426 sentences of Hearts and Masks, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Hearts and Masks by Harold MacGrath exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 Hearts and Masks by Harold MacGrath on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2223 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17390 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #17390, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 185 minutes of reading across 445 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Hearts and Masks section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Hearts and Masks 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 Hearts and Masks, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
