Chapter 14 of Mortmain is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of Mortmain is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Madonna! I am pardoned for killing Beppe? _O giudici_, I kiss your hands." He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses. Then with a smile he added: "Ah, you see I could not but kill him!
Chapter 14 of Mortmain is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
past form of “devour” — destroy completely
From this reading “He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.”
someone who mediates between speakers of different languages
From this reading “He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.”
an event that causes someone to die
From this reading “I am pardoned for killing Beppe?”
the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading “_O giudici_, I kiss your hands."”
plural of “kiss” — the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading “He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.”
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading “"Madonna!”
past form of “pardon” — accept an excuse for
From this reading “I am pardoned for killing Beppe?”
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading “He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.”
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 “I am pardoned for killing Beppe?”
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 Then with a smile he added: "Ah, you see I could not but kill him!
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading Then with a smile he added: "Ah, you see I could not but kill him!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then with a smile he added: "Ah, you see I could not but kill him!
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am pardoned for killing Beppe?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I am pardoned for killing Beppe?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Then with a smile he added: "Ah, you see I could not but kill him!
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Then with a smile he added: "Ah, you see I could not but kill him!
past form of “devour” — destroy completely
From this reading He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I am pardoned for killing Beppe?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _O giudici_, I kiss your hands."
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading _O giudici_, I kiss your hands."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then with a smile he added: "Ah, you see I could not but kill him!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I am pardoned for killing Beppe?
someone who mediates between speakers of different languages
From this reading He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.
cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading Then with a smile he added: "Ah, you see I could not but kill him!
an event that causes someone to die
From this reading I am pardoned for killing Beppe?
the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading _O giudici_, I kiss your hands."
plural of “kiss” — the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading "Madonna!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Then with a smile he added: "Ah, you see I could not but kill him!
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading _O giudici_, I kiss your hands."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.
past form of “pardon” — accept an excuse for
From this reading I am pardoned for killing Beppe?
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Then with a smile he added: "Ah, you see I could not but kill him!
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Then with a smile he added: "Ah, you see I could not but kill him!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then with a smile he added: "Ah, you see I could not but kill him!
in the company of; together with
From this reading He seized that of the interpreter and devoured it with kisses.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Then with a smile he added: "Ah, you see I could not but kill him!
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading _O giudici_, I kiss your hands."
Chapter 14 of Mortmain by Arthur Cheney Train holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 14 holds 425 sentences of Mortmain, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of Mortmain by Arthur Cheney Train exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 14 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.
