Chapter 4 of Mad Barbara is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Mad Barbara is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The retort came instantly with a sweep of the peer’s arm. John Gore was ready for it, and put the blow aside. Half a dozen gentlemen rushed in and made a human barrier between the pair. My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel. “Hold off, fools!
Chapter 4 of Mad Barbara is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
a structure or object that impedes free movement
From this reading “Half a dozen gentlemen rushed in and made a human barrier between the pair.”
plural of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading ““Hold off, fools!”
provide with a combustible substance that provides energy
From this reading “My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.”
wound by piercing with a sharp or penetrating object or instrument
From this reading “John Gore was ready for it, and put the blow aside.”
a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading “My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.”
the smaller and straight-legged variety of corgi having pointed ears and a short tail
From this reading “My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.”
a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)
From this reading “The retort came instantly with a sweep of the peer’s arm.”
held in check with difficulty
From this reading “My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.”
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.
In this reading “The retort came instantly with a sweep of the peer’s arm.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The retort came instantly with a sweep of the peer’s arm.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading John Gore was ready for it, and put the blow aside.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading The retort came instantly with a sweep of the peer’s arm.
on or to one side
From this reading John Gore was ready for it, and put the blow aside.
a structure or object that impedes free movement
From this reading Half a dozen gentlemen rushed in and made a human barrier between the pair.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Half a dozen gentlemen rushed in and made a human barrier between the pair.
exhale hard
From this reading John Gore was ready for it, and put the blow aside.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The retort came instantly with a sweep of the peer’s arm.
slightly wet
From this reading My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading Half a dozen gentlemen rushed in and made a human barrier between the pair.
start firing a weapon
From this reading My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.
plural of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “Hold off, fools!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading John Gore was ready for it, and put the blow aside.
provide with a combustible substance that provides energy
From this reading My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.
plural of “gentleman” — a man of refinement
From this reading Half a dozen gentlemen rushed in and made a human barrier between the pair.
wound by piercing with a sharp or penetrating object or instrument
From this reading John Gore was ready for it, and put the blow aside.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Half a dozen gentlemen rushed in and made a human barrier between the pair.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading “Hold off, fools!
characteristic of humanity
From this reading Half a dozen gentlemen rushed in and made a human barrier between the pair.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Half a dozen gentlemen rushed in and made a human barrier between the pair.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading The retort came instantly with a sweep of the peer’s arm.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading John Gore was ready for it, and put the blow aside.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading John Gore was ready for it, and put the blow aside.
a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Half a dozen gentlemen rushed in and made a human barrier between the pair.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The retort came instantly with a sweep of the peer’s arm.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “Hold off, fools!
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading Half a dozen gentlemen rushed in and made a human barrier between the pair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The retort came instantly with a sweep of the peer’s arm.
the smaller and straight-legged variety of corgi having pointed ears and a short tail
From this reading My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading John Gore was ready for it, and put the blow aside.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading John Gore was ready for it, and put the blow aside.
a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)
From this reading The retort came instantly with a sweep of the peer’s arm.
done under pressure
From this reading Half a dozen gentlemen rushed in and made a human barrier between the pair.
held in check with difficulty
From this reading My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.
past form of “struggle” — make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading My Lord of Pembroke struggled like a knot of fire half smothered by damp fuel.
sweep across or over
From this reading The retort came instantly with a sweep of the peer’s arm.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The retort came instantly with a sweep of the peer’s arm.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading John Gore was ready for it, and put the blow aside.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The retort came instantly with a sweep of the peer’s arm.
Chapter 4 of Mad Barbara by Warwick Deeping holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 4 holds 410 sentences of Mad Barbara, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Mad Barbara by Warwick Deeping exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 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.
Common questions about reading Mad Barbara by Warwick Deeping on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6545 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50995 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #50995, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 545 minutes of reading across 1309 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mad Barbara section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of Mad Barbara 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 Mad Barbara, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
