Chapter 13 of Humbug is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of Humbug is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Nicholas!" She was touched by him as she had never been before. "Don't--don't! I do understand, I think." "You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.
Chapter 13 of Humbug is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “"You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.”
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading “"You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.”
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading “"You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.”
in the recent past
From this reading “"You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.”
a bishop in Asia Minor who is associated with Santa Claus (4th century)
From this reading “"Nicholas!"”
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading “"You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.”
having come into contact
From this reading “She was touched by him as she had never been before.”
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading “I do understand, I think."”
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.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She was touched by him as she had never been before.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She was touched by him as she had never been before.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading She was touched by him as she had never been before.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading "You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She was touched by him as she had never been before.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do understand, I think."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Don't--don't!
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She was touched by him as she had never been before.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading "You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She was touched by him as she had never been before.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I do understand, I think."
in the recent past
From this reading "You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading She was touched by him as she had never been before.
a bishop in Asia Minor who is associated with Santa Claus (4th century)
From this reading "Nicholas!"
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was touched by him as she had never been before.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading "You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I do understand, I think."
having come into contact
From this reading She was touched by him as she had never been before.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading I do understand, I think."
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.
precisely as stated
From this reading "You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was touched by him as she had never been before.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You were away--and things between us haven't been very happy lately.
Chapter 13 of Humbug by E. M. Delafield holds 434 sentences, grouped into 87 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 13 holds 434 sentences of Humbug, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of Humbug by E. M. Delafield exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 434 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 13 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.
