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Miranda of the Balcony: A Story
Miranda of the Balcony: A Story

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Miranda of the Balcony: A Story
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?
I want to introduce you to a cousin of mine, Miranda Warriner, because she lives at Ronda."
"At Ronda.
Indeed?"
"Yes."
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Miranda of the Balcony: A Story

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?
Line 2
I want to introduce you to a cousin of mine, Miranda Warriner, because she lives at Ronda."
Line 3
"At Ronda.
Line 4
Indeed?"
/ˌɪnˈdiːd/
Line 5
"Yes."
/jes/

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.

catching noun US /ˈkætʃɪŋ/

(baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball team

From this reading “TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?”

dances noun US /ˈdænsəz/

plural of “dance” — an artistic form of nonverbal communication

From this reading “TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?”

interval noun US /ˈɪntərvəl/

a definite length of time marked off by two instants

From this reading “TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?”

introduce verb US /ˌɪntrəˈduːs/

cause to come to know personally

From this reading “I want to introduce you to a cousin of mine, Miranda Warriner, because she lives at Ronda."”

relief noun US /rɪˈliːf/

the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced

From this reading “TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?”

retired adjective US /rɪˈtaɪrd/

no longer active in your work or profession

From this reading “TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?”

sigh verb US /saɪ/

heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily

From this reading “TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?”

treats noun US /triːts/

plural of “treat” — something considered choice to eat

From this reading “TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?”

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.

FIRST MEETING adjective + noun

In this reading “TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?”

between two preposition + noun

In this reading “TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?”

in the interval preposition + article + noun counted as “in … interval”

In this reading “TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?”

All words in this reading · 46

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 TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading I want to introduce you to a cousin of mine, Miranda Warriner, because she lives at Ronda."

BETWEENprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

catchingnounUS /ˈkætʃɪŋ/

(baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball team

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

CHARNOCK

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

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

cousinnounUS /ˈkʌzən/

the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading I want to introduce you to a cousin of mine, Miranda Warriner, because she lives at Ronda."

dancesnounUS /ˈdænsəz/

plural of “dance” — an artistic form of nonverbal communication

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

didn't

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

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

Donnisthorpe

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

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

FIRSTadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I want to introduce you to a cousin of mine, Miranda Warriner, because she lives at Ronda."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

IndeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading Indeed?"

intervalnounUS /ˈɪntərvəl/

a definite length of time marked off by two instants

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

introduceverbUS /ˌɪntrəˈduːs/

cause to come to know personally

From this reading I want to introduce you to a cousin of mine, Miranda Warriner, because she lives at Ronda."

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

LadynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

livesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading I want to introduce you to a cousin of mine, Miranda Warriner, because she lives at Ronda."

MEETINGnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I want to introduce you to a cousin of mine, Miranda Warriner, because she lives at Ronda."

MIRANDA

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

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

reliefnounUS /rɪˈliːf/

the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

retiredadjectiveUS /rɪˈtaɪrd/

no longer active in your work or profession

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

Ronda

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

From this reading I want to introduce you to a cousin of mine, Miranda Warriner, because she lives at Ronda."

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

sighverbUS /saɪ/

heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

stairsnounUS /sterz/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I want to introduce you to a cousin of mine, Miranda Warriner, because she lives at Ronda."

TREATSnounUS /triːts/

plural of “treat” — something considered choice to eat

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading I want to introduce you to a cousin of mine, Miranda Warriner, because she lives at Ronda."

Warriner

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

From this reading I want to introduce you to a cousin of mine, Miranda Warriner, because she lives at Ronda."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes."

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA Lady Donnisthorpe, with a sigh of relief, retired from her position at the head of the stairs, and catching Charnock in the interval between two dances:-- "You kept some dances free," she said, "didn't you?

Chapter 4 of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason holds 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 Miranda of the Balcony: A Story contain?

Chapter 4 holds 203 sentences of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 Miranda of the Balcony: A Story?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 Miranda of the Balcony: A Story

Common questions about reading Miranda of the Balcony: A Story by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story?

Yes. All 4994 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38679 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #38679, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Miranda of the Balcony: A Story take to read?

About 416 minutes of reading across 999 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Miranda of the Balcony: A Story section by section

How to work through Miranda of the Balcony: A Story section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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    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 Miranda of the Balcony: A Story

Words and structures a reader meets early in Miranda of the Balcony: A Story, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Diphthong
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Represented
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Courtship
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miranda of the Balcony: A Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.