Chapter 15 of May Fair is here in full — 369 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of May Fair is here in full — 369 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Lousy, dear,” sighed the Lady Amelia. “Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so. Unfortunately, however, I am not a man of talent. I am a genius.” “I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.”
Chapter 15 of May Fair is here in full — 369 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/73 · 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.
congenital absence of an arm or leg
From this reading ““Lousy, dear,” sighed the Lady Amelia.”
past form of “complain” — express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness
From this reading ““I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.””
accuracy with which an electronic system reproduces the sound or image of its input signal
From this reading ““Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so.”
the quality of being unfaithful
From this reading ““I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.””
very bad
From this reading ““Lousy, dear,” sighed the Lady Amelia.”
one who suffers for the sake of principle
From this reading ““I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.””
look furtively
From this reading ““I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.””
the condition or quality of being a virgin
From this reading ““I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.””
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading Unfortunately, however, I am not a man of talent.
congenital absence of an arm or leg
From this reading “Lousy, dear,” sighed the Lady Amelia.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.”
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading “Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.”
past form of “complain” — express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness
From this reading “I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.”
dearly loved
From this reading “Lousy, dear,” sighed the Lady Amelia.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading “I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.”
accuracy with which an electronic system reproduces the sound or image of its input signal
From this reading “Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so.
someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
From this reading I am a genius.”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.”
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Unfortunately, however, I am not a man of talent.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so.
the quality of being unfaithful
From this reading “I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.”
a polite name for any woman
From this reading “Lousy, dear,” sighed the Lady Amelia.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading “Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so.
very bad
From this reading “Lousy, dear,” sighed the Lady Amelia.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Unfortunately, however, I am not a man of talent.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so.
one who suffers for the sake of principle
From this reading “I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.”
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading “Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Unfortunately, however, I am not a man of talent.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Unfortunately, however, I am not a man of talent.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.”
look furtively
From this reading “I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so.
express in words
From this reading “Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so.
past form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading “Lousy, dear,” sighed the Lady Amelia.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so.
natural abilities or qualities
From this reading “Fidelity,” said Lord Marketharborough, “is a beautiful talent, if I may say so.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Lousy, dear,” sighed the Lady Amelia.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.”
by bad luck
From this reading Unfortunately, however, I am not a man of talent.
the condition or quality of being a virgin
From this reading “I,” complained the Lady Amelia Peep, “know nothing of fidelity or infidelity, as I have so far been a martyr to virginity.”
Chapter 15 of May Fair by Michael Arlen holds 369 sentences, grouped into 74 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 15 holds 369 sentences of May Fair, unabridged, divided into 74 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of May Fair by Michael Arlen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 369 sentences, grouped into 74 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 74 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 74 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 15 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 May Fair by Michael Arlen on this page, its source edition and its audio.
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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through May Fair section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of May Fair 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 May Fair, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
