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His Official Fiancée
His Official Fiancée

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of His Official Fiancée is here in full — 251 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/50 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ACCEPTED!
“And when do you think the ‘engagement’ had better be announced?
At once?”
This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.
“At _once_?”
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

His Official Fiancée

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of His Official Fiancée is here in full — 251 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ACCEPTED!
/ækˈseptɪd/
Line 2
“And when do you think the ‘engagement’ had better be announced?
/ənd wen duː juː θɪŋk ðə enˈɡeɪdʒmənt hæd ˈbetər biː əˈnaʊnst/
Line 3
At once?”
/æt wʌns/
Line 4
This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.
/ðɪs wɑːz wʌt ðə ˈɡʌvərnər sed tuː miː ðɪs ˈmɔːrnɪŋ wen aɪ əˈɡen priˈzentɪd ˌmaɪˈself æt hɪz desk ðɪs taɪm wɪð ðə ˈtɪmɪd ækˈseptəns wɪtʃ ˈæftər puːr dʒæks ˈdesprɪt əˈpiːl ɪz maɪ ˈoʊnli ɔːlˈtɜːrnətɪv/
Line 5
“At _once_?”
/æt wʌns/

Learner Dictionary

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.

acceptance noun US /ækˈseptəns/

the mental attitude that something is believable and should be accepted as true

From this reading “This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.”

alternative adjective US /ɔːlˈtɜːrnətɪv/

serving or used in place of another

From this reading “This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.”

appeal verb US /əˈpiːl/

take a court case to a higher court for review

From this reading “This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.”

desperate adjective US /ˈdesprɪt/

arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope

From this reading “This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.”

engagement noun US /enˈɡeɪdʒmənt/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading ““And when do you think the ‘engagement’ had better be announced?”

Governor noun US /ˈɡʌvərnər/

the head of a state government

From this reading “This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.”

Jack's noun US /dʒæks/

possessive form of “jack” — a small worthless amount

timid adjective US /ˈtɪmɪd/

showing fear and lack of confidence

From this reading “This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

At once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “At once?””

only alternative adverb + adjective

In this reading “This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.”

All words in this reading · 42

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.

acceptancenounUS /ækˈseptəns/

the mental attitude that something is believable and should be accepted as true

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

ACCEPTEDadjectiveUS /ækˈseptɪd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading ACCEPTED!

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

alternativeadjectiveUS /ɔːlˈtɜːrnətɪv/

serving or used in place of another

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading “And when do you think the ‘engagement’ had better be announced?

announcedadjectiveUS /əˈnaʊnst/

declared publicly; made widely known

From this reading “And when do you think the ‘engagement’ had better be announced?

appealverbUS /əˈpiːl/

take a court case to a higher court for review

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At once?”

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “And when do you think the ‘engagement’ had better be announced?

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading “And when do you think the ‘engagement’ had better be announced?

desknounUS /desk/

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

desperateadjectiveUS /ˈdesprɪt/

arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “And when do you think the ‘engagement’ had better be announced?

engagementnounUS /enˈɡeɪdʒmənt/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading “And when do you think the ‘engagement’ had better be announced?

GovernornounUS /ˈɡʌvərnər/

the head of a state government

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading “And when do you think the ‘engagement’ had better be announced?

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

Jack'snounUS /dʒæks/

possessive form of “jack” — a small worthless amount

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading At once?”

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

presentedverbUS /priˈzentɪd/

past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading “And when do you think the ‘engagement’ had better be announced?

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading “And when do you think the ‘engagement’ had better be announced?

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

timidadjectiveUS /ˈtɪmɪd/

showing fear and lack of confidence

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading “And when do you think the ‘engagement’ had better be announced?

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading This was what the Governor said to me this morning when I again presented myself at his desk; this time with the timid “acceptance” which, after poor Jack’s desperate appeal, is my only alternative.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “And when do you think the ‘engagement’ had better be announced?

Chapter 4 of His Official Fiancée by Berta Ruck holds 251 sentences, grouped into 51 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.

What does chapter 4 of His Official Fiancée contain?

Chapter 4 holds 251 sentences of His Official Fiancée, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of His Official Fiancée by Berta Ruck exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 251 sentences, grouped into 51 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.

How do I study chapter 4 of His Official Fiancée?

Work through the 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 51 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.

Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading His Official Fiancée

Common questions about reading His Official Fiancée by Berta Ruck on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of His Official Fiancée?

Yes. All 5532 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #63865 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of His Official Fiancée is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #63865, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does His Official Fiancée take to read?

About 461 minutes of reading across 1107 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through His Official Fiancée section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in His Official Fiancée

Words and structures a reader meets early in His Official Fiancée, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Berta
A word that appears in the opening chapter of His Official Fiancée; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Oliver
A word that appears in the opening chapter of His Official Fiancée; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Onions
A word that appears in the opening chapter of His Official Fiancée; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Without
A word that appears in the opening chapter of His Official Fiancée; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.