Chapter 4 of Mortmain is here in full — 407 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 Mortmain is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret. "Let a fellow in, won't you?" But the boy still shook silently without replying. "Oh, go on! What's the joke?" repeated the other.
Chapter 4 of Mortmain is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading “"I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.”
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading “"I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.”
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading “"I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.”
most important element
From this reading “"I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.”
a temporary rank held by young naval officers in training
From this reading “"I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.”
-ing form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “But the boy still shook silently without replying.”
without speaking
From this reading “But the boy still shook silently without replying.”
a small tower extending above a building
From this reading “"I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.”
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.
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
In this reading “"Oh, go on!”
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 "Let a fellow in, won't you?"
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading "I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.
a youthful male person
From this reading But the boy still shook silently without replying.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the boy still shook silently without replying.
a boy or man
From this reading "Let a fellow in, won't you?"
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Oh, go on!
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Let a fellow in, won't you?"
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading "I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading "I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "Let a fellow in, won't you?"
most important element
From this reading "I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.
a temporary rank held by young naval officers in training
From this reading "I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, go on!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Oh, go on!
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading What's the joke?" repeated the other.
recurring again and again
From this reading What's the joke?" repeated the other.
-ing form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading But the boy still shook silently without replying.
express in words
From this reading "I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading "I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading But the boy still shook silently without replying.
without speaking
From this reading But the boy still shook silently without replying.
not in physical motion
From this reading But the boy still shook silently without replying.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.
a small tower extending above a building
From this reading "I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I say, what's the joke?" inquired the midshipman approaching him from the shadow of the main turret.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading But the boy still shook silently without replying.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Let a fellow in, won't you?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Let a fellow in, won't you?"
Chapter 4 of Mortmain by Arthur Cheney Train holds 407 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 407 sentences of Mortmain, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Mortmain by Arthur Cheney Train exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 407 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 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.
