Chapter 3 of Hilda Lessways is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Hilda Lessways is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MR. CANNON I A little later Hilda came downstairs dressed to go out. Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby. Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity: "I'm going to get that thread you want.
Chapter 3 of Hilda Lessways is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/38 · 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 large artillery gun that is usually on wheels
From this reading “CANNON I A little later Hilda came downstairs dressed to go out.”
move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading “Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:”
the act of preventing something by anticipating and disposing of it effectively
From this reading “Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:”
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading “Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby.”
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading “Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby.”
having abundant light or illumination
From this reading “Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby.”
a large entrance or reception room or area
From this reading “Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby.”
to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
From this reading “"I'm going to get that thread you want.”
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 CANNON I A little later Hilda came downstairs dressed to go out.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading CANNON I A little later Hilda came downstairs dressed to go out.
a large artillery gun that is usually on wheels
From this reading CANNON I A little later Hilda came downstairs dressed to go out.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
on a floor below
From this reading CANNON I A little later Hilda came downstairs dressed to go out.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading CANNON I A little later Hilda came downstairs dressed to go out.
an old word for “before”
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
the act of preventing something by anticipating and disposing of it effectively
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "I'm going to get that thread you want.
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading CANNON I A little later Hilda came downstairs dressed to go out.
the act of departing
From this reading "I'm going to get that thread you want.
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CANNON I A little later Hilda came downstairs dressed to go out.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading CANNON I A little later Hilda came downstairs dressed to go out.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm going to get that thread you want.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading CANNON I A little later Hilda came downstairs dressed to go out.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
having abundant light or illumination
From this reading Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading CANNON I A little later Hilda came downstairs dressed to go out.
a large entrance or reception room or area
From this reading Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby.
a form of address for a man
From this reading MR.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading CANNON I A little later Hilda came downstairs dressed to go out.
with speed
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I'm going to get that thread you want.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby.
to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
From this reading "I'm going to get that thread you want.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading CANNON I A little later Hilda came downstairs dressed to go out.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading Ere Mrs. Lessways could descend from her tiptoes to her heels and turn round Hilda said quickly, forestalling curiosity:
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "I'm going to get that thread you want.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Her mother was lighting a glimmer of gas in the lobby.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I'm going to get that thread you want.
Chapter 3 of Hilda Lessways by Arnold Bennett holds 194 sentences, grouped into 39 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 194 sentences of Hilda Lessways, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Hilda Lessways by Arnold Bennett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 194 sentences, grouped into 39 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 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 39 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 Hilda Lessways by Arnold Bennett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7594 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10658 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10658, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1519 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Hilda Lessways section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of Hilda Lessways 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 Hilda Lessways, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
