Chapter 6 of Humbug is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of Humbug is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Indeed, yes! She was ruthless--ruthless to me, and to that other...." "But did he--how could he let her...?" stammered Lily. "Ah how! But--," said Miss Stellenthorpe sombrely, "she was his wife."
Chapter 6 of Humbug is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “"But did he--how could he let her...?" stammered Lily.”
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading “"Indeed, yes!”
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “"But did he--how could he let her...?" stammered Lily.”
any liliaceous plant of the genus Lilium having showy pendulous flowers
From this reading “"But did he--how could he let her...?" stammered Lily.”
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading “But--," said Miss Stellenthorpe sombrely, "she was his wife."”
without mercy or pity
From this reading “She was ruthless--ruthless to me, and to that other...."”
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading “But--," said Miss Stellenthorpe sombrely, "she was his wife."”
an affirmative
From this reading “"Indeed, yes!”
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.
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ah how!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She was ruthless--ruthless to me, and to that other...."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But did he--how could he let her...?" stammered Lily.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "But did he--how could he let her...?" stammered Lily.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "But did he--how could he let her...?" stammered Lily.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "But did he--how could he let her...?" stammered Lily.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "But did he--how could he let her...?" stammered Lily.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But--," said Miss Stellenthorpe sombrely, "she was his wife."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But did he--how could he let her...?" stammered Lily.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading "Indeed, yes!
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "But did he--how could he let her...?" stammered Lily.
any liliaceous plant of the genus Lilium having showy pendulous flowers
From this reading "But did he--how could he let her...?" stammered Lily.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She was ruthless--ruthless to me, and to that other...."
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading But--," said Miss Stellenthorpe sombrely, "she was his wife."
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading She was ruthless--ruthless to me, and to that other...."
without mercy or pity
From this reading She was ruthless--ruthless to me, and to that other...."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading But--," said Miss Stellenthorpe sombrely, "she was his wife."
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was ruthless--ruthless to me, and to that other...."
in a somber manner
From this reading But--," said Miss Stellenthorpe sombrely, "she was his wife."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But did he--how could he let her...?" stammered Lily.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But--," said Miss Stellenthorpe sombrely, "she was his wife."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She was ruthless--ruthless to me, and to that other...."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She was ruthless--ruthless to me, and to that other...."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was ruthless--ruthless to me, and to that other...."
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading But--," said Miss Stellenthorpe sombrely, "she was his wife."
an affirmative
From this reading "Indeed, yes!
Chapter 6 of Humbug by E. M. Delafield holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 6 holds 423 sentences of Humbug, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of Humbug by E. M. Delafield exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 6 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 Humbug by E. M. Delafield on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5539 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #74452 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #74452, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 461 minutes of reading across 1108 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Humbug section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of Humbug 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 Humbug, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
