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I Will Maintain
I Will Maintain

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of I Will Maintain is here in full — 267 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Marjorie Bowen • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for I Will Maintain
Context Illustration Reading 1/53 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.
The mysterious, damp, and misty days of autumn had set in.
Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.
No fire burnt in the library, but the secretary had quietly set the window open, heedless of the chilly air.
For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.
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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.

I Will Maintain

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of I Will Maintain is here in full — 267 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/53 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.
Line 2
The mysterious, damp, and misty days of autumn had set in.
/ðə mɪˈstɪriəs dæmp ənd ˈmɪsti deɪz ʌv ˈɔːtəm hæd set ɪn/
Line 3
Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.
Line 4
No fire burnt in the library, but the secretary had quietly set the window open, heedless of the chilly air.
Line 5
For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

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.

autumn noun US /ˈɔːtəm/

the season when the leaves fall from the trees

From this reading “The mysterious, damp, and misty days of autumn had set in.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blew verb US /bluː/

inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard

From this reading “Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
burnt adjective US /bɜːrnt/

ruined by overcooking

From this reading “No fire burnt in the library, but the secretary had quietly set the window open, heedless of the chilly air.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chilly adjective US /ˈtʃɪli/

not characterized by emotion

From this reading “No fire burnt in the library, but the secretary had quietly set the window open, heedless of the chilly air.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
damp adjective US /dæmp/

slightly wet

From this reading “The mysterious, damp, and misty days of autumn had set in.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
misty adjective US /ˈmɪsti/

filled or abounding with fog or mist

From this reading “The mysterious, damp, and misty days of autumn had set in.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stillness noun US /ˈstɪlnəs/

(poetic) tranquil silence

From this reading “For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tranquil adjective US /ˈtræŋkwəl/

(of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves

From this reading “For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

open window verb + noun

In this reading “M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.”

8,653 times in 426,211 chapters
great distance adjective + noun

In this reading “Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.”

5,367 times in 426,211 chapters
till night preposition + noun

In this reading “Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.”

3,312 times in 426,211 chapters
come up verb + adjective

bring forth, usually something desirable

In this reading “For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.”

80,012 times in 426,211 chapters
looked out verb + adjective counted as “look out”

be vigilant, be on the lookout or be careful

In this reading “M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.”

41,892 times in 426,211 chapters
in the library preposition + article + noun counted as “in … library”

In this reading “No fire burnt in the library, but the secretary had quietly set the window open, heedless of the chilly air.”

7,481 times in 426,211 chapters
in the garden preposition + article + noun counted as “in … garden”

In this reading “For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.”

21,996 times in 426,211 chapters
came from verb + particle counted as “come from”

In this reading “Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.”

89,230 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 79

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading No fire burnt in the library, but the secretary had quietly set the window open, heedless of the chilly air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
autumnnounUS /ˈɔːtəm/

the season when the leaves fall from the trees

From this reading The mysterious, damp, and misty days of autumn had set in.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blewverbUS /bluː/

inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
burntadjectiveUS /bɜːrnt/

ruined by overcooking

From this reading No fire burnt in the library, but the secretary had quietly set the window open, heedless of the chilly air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading No fire burnt in the library, but the secretary had quietly set the window open, heedless of the chilly air.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chillyadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪli/

not characterized by emotion

From this reading No fire burnt in the library, but the secretary had quietly set the window open, heedless of the chilly air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
clearlyadverbUS /ˈklɪrli/

without doubt or question

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conversationnounUS /ˌkɑːnvərˈseɪʃən/

the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Cornelius

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

Pending verification
dampadjectiveUS /dæmp/

slightly wet

From this reading The mysterious, damp, and misty days of autumn had set in.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The mysterious, damp, and misty days of autumn had set in.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DEnounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desknounUS /desk/

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

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Dordt

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

Pending verification
faintadjectiveUS /feɪnt/

deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading No fire burnt in the library, but the secretary had quietly set the window open, heedless of the chilly air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Florent

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

Pending verification
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The mysterious, damp, and misty days of autumn had set in.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Hague

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

Pending verification
heedlessadjective

marked by or paying little heed or attention

From this reading No fire burnt in the library, but the secretary had quietly set the window open, heedless of the chilly air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The mysterious, damp, and misty days of autumn had set in.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
librarynounUS /ˈlaɪbreriː/

a room where books are kept

From this reading No fire burnt in the library, but the secretary had quietly set the window open, heedless of the chilly air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
listeningnounUS /ˈlɪsənɪŋ/

the act of hearing attentively

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mander

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

Pending verification
mistyadjectiveUS /ˈmɪsti/

filled or abounding with fog or mist

From this reading The mysterious, damp, and misty days of autumn had set in.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

of an obscure nature

From this reading The mysterious, damp, and misty days of autumn had set in.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No fire burnt in the library, but the secretary had quietly set the window open, heedless of the chilly air.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

Velmora curated lexicon
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Putten

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

Pending verification
quietlyadverbUS /ˈkwaɪətli/

with low volume

From this reading No fire burnt in the library, but the secretary had quietly set the window open, heedless of the chilly air.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ruard

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

Pending verification
satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SECRETARYnounUS /ˈsekrəteri/

a person who is head of an administrative department of government

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The mysterious, damp, and misty days of autumn had set in.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stillnessnounUS /ˈstɪlnəs/

(poetic) tranquil silence

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sunshinenounUS /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/

the rays of the sun

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThinadjectiveUS /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

Velmora curated lexicon
throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
to-day

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

Pending verification
tranquiladjectiveUS /ˈtræŋkwəl/

(of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
VannounUS /væn/

any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
vapoursnoun

a state of depression

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
walkingadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/

close enough to be walked to

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Thin sea vapours blew from morning till night across the Hague; the sunshine was faint as if it came from a great distance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading For M. de Witt was walking in the garden talking to his brother, M. Cornelius de Witt, Ruard of Putten, who had come up to-day from Dordt, and Florent was listening to their conversation as it came clearly through the tranquil stillness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Witt

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

Pending verification
WITT'S

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading M. DE WITT’S SECRETARY Florent Van Mander sat at his desk by the open window and looked out on to the garden of M. de Witt.

Pending verification

Chapter 4 of I Will Maintain by Marjorie Bowen holds 267 sentences, grouped into 54 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 I Will Maintain contain?

Chapter 4 holds 267 sentences of I Will Maintain, unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of I Will Maintain by Marjorie Bowen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 267 sentences, grouped into 54 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 I Will Maintain?

Work through the 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 54 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 I Will Maintain

Common questions about reading I Will Maintain by Marjorie Bowen on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of I Will Maintain?

Yes. All 9501 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53549 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of I Will Maintain is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #53549, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does I Will Maintain take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1901 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read I Will Maintain section by section

How to work through I Will Maintain section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 37 chapters of I Will Maintain to begin.

  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 I Will Maintain

Words and structures a reader meets early in I Will Maintain, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Subject
A word that appears in the opening chapter of I Will Maintain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Seldom
A word that appears in the opening chapter of I Will Maintain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Touch
A word that appears in the opening chapter of I Will Maintain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
William
A word that appears in the opening chapter of I Will Maintain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.