Chapter 3 of Lore of Proserpine is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Lore of Proserpine is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I was very shy with strangers. The more I wanted to get on terms with them the less I was able to do it. I asked the child whether she liked oranges. I asked the child, but the mother answered me, measuring her words. "She likes nothing of ours.
Chapter 3 of Lore of Proserpine is here in full — 432 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.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading “I asked the child whether she liked oranges.”
plural of “like” — a similar kind
From this reading “"She likes nothing of ours.”
the act or process of assigning numbers to phenomena according to a rule
From this reading “I asked the child, but the mother answered me, measuring her words.”
plural of “orange” — round yellow to orange fruit of any of several citrus trees
From this reading “I asked the child whether she liked oranges.”
the one or ones belonging to us
From this reading “"She likes nothing of ours.”
start suddenly, as from fright
From this reading “I was very shy with strangers.”
plural of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading “I was very shy with strangers.”
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading “The more I wanted to get on terms with them the less I was able to do it.”
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.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading The more I wanted to get on terms with them the less I was able to do it.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading I asked the child, but the mother answered me, measuring her words.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I asked the child whether she liked oranges.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I asked the child, but the mother answered me, measuring her words.
a young person of either sex
From this reading I asked the child whether she liked oranges.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading The more I wanted to get on terms with them the less I was able to do it.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading The more I wanted to get on terms with them the less I was able to do it.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I asked the child, but the mother answered me, measuring her words.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was very shy with strangers.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The more I wanted to get on terms with them the less I was able to do it.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading The more I wanted to get on terms with them the less I was able to do it.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading I asked the child whether she liked oranges.
plural of “like” — a similar kind
From this reading "She likes nothing of ours.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I asked the child, but the mother answered me, measuring her words.
the act or process of assigning numbers to phenomena according to a rule
From this reading I asked the child, but the mother answered me, measuring her words.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The more I wanted to get on terms with them the less I was able to do it.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading I asked the child, but the mother answered me, measuring her words.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "She likes nothing of ours.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "She likes nothing of ours.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The more I wanted to get on terms with them the less I was able to do it.
plural of “orange” — round yellow to orange fruit of any of several citrus trees
From this reading I asked the child whether she liked oranges.
the one or ones belonging to us
From this reading "She likes nothing of ours.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I asked the child whether she liked oranges.
start suddenly, as from fright
From this reading I was very shy with strangers.
plural of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading I was very shy with strangers.
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading The more I wanted to get on terms with them the less I was able to do it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The more I wanted to get on terms with them the less I was able to do it.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The more I wanted to get on terms with them the less I was able to do it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The more I wanted to get on terms with them the less I was able to do it.
precisely as stated
From this reading I was very shy with strangers.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading The more I wanted to get on terms with them the less I was able to do it.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was very shy with strangers.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading I asked the child whether she liked oranges.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I was very shy with strangers.
the words that are spoken
From this reading I asked the child, but the mother answered me, measuring her words.
Chapter 3 of Lore of Proserpine by Maurice Hewlett holds 432 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 3 holds 432 sentences of Lore of Proserpine, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Lore of Proserpine by Maurice Hewlett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 432 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 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 Lore of Proserpine by Maurice Hewlett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3049 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18730 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18730, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 254 minutes of reading across 610 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Lore of Proserpine section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Lore of Proserpine 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 Lore of Proserpine, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
