Chapter 3 of Mortmain is here in full — 388 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Mortmain is here in full — 388 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Come in," he cried, but his voice was husky. Flaggs stood before him. "I have been expecting you," said Mortmain. It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration. "Yes?" queried Flaggs.
Chapter 3 of Mortmain is here in full — 388 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/77 · 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.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “"Come in," he cried, but his voice was husky.”
a statement that is emphatic and explicit (spoken or written)
From this reading “It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration.”
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading “"I have been expecting you," said Mortmain.”
muscular and heavily built
From this reading “"Come in," he cried, but his voice was husky.”
inflected form of “query” — pose a question
From this reading “"Yes?" queried Flaggs.”
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration.”
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading “Flaggs stood before him.”
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading “It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration.”
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 “Flaggs stood before him.”
In this reading “It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration.”
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.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "I have been expecting you," said Mortmain.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Flaggs stood before him.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Come in," he cried, but his voice was husky.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Come in," he cried, but his voice was husky.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Come in," he cried, but his voice was husky.
a statement that is emphatic and explicit (spoken or written)
From this reading It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration.
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading "I have been expecting you," said Mortmain.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Flaggs stood before him.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I have been expecting you," said Mortmain.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Come in," he cried, but his voice was husky.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Flaggs stood before him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Come in," he cried, but his voice was husky.
muscular and heavily built
From this reading "Come in," he cried, but his voice was husky.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I have been expecting you," said Mortmain.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Come in," he cried, but his voice was husky.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration.
engage in
From this reading It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration.
real property held inalienably (as by an ecclesiastical corporation)
From this reading "I have been expecting you," said Mortmain.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration.
inflected form of “query” — pose a question
From this reading "Yes?" queried Flaggs.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I have been expecting you," said Mortmain.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Flaggs stood before him.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It did not seem strange that he should make this declaration.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "Come in," he cried, but his voice was husky.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Come in," he cried, but his voice was husky.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes?" queried Flaggs.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I have been expecting you," said Mortmain.
Chapter 3 of Mortmain by Arthur Cheney Train holds 388 sentences, grouped into 78 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 388 sentences of Mortmain, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Mortmain by Arthur Cheney Train exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 388 sentences, grouped into 78 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 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 78 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 Mortmain by Arthur Cheney Train on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6207 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37346 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #37346, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 517 minutes of reading across 1242 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mortmain section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Mortmain 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 Mortmain, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
