Chapter 4 of My Sword's My Fortune: A Story of Old France is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of My Sword's My Fortune: A Story of Old France is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I Enter the Astrologer's House. It was plain that whatever I decided to do must be done quickly. I glanced at the messenger. He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought. Evidently there was no help to be expected from that quarter.
Chapter 4 of My Sword's My Fortune: A Story of Old France is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/47 · 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.
small and round and shiny like a shiny bead or button
From this reading “He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.”
recognizable; marked
From this reading “It was plain that whatever I decided to do must be done quickly.”
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading “Evidently there was no help to be expected from that quarter.”
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading “He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.”
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading “I glanced at the messenger.”
a person who carries a message
From this reading “I glanced at the messenger.”
one of four equal parts
From this reading “Evidently there was no help to be expected from that quarter.”
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
From this reading “He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.”
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.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I Enter the Astrologer's House.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I glanced at the messenger.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was plain that whatever I decided to do must be done quickly.
small and round and shiny like a shiny bead or button
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
recognizable; marked
From this reading It was plain that whatever I decided to do must be done quickly.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading It was plain that whatever I decided to do must be done quickly.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading It was plain that whatever I decided to do must be done quickly.
to come or go into
From this reading I Enter the Astrologer's House.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading Evidently there was no help to be expected from that quarter.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading Evidently there was no help to be expected from that quarter.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Evidently there was no help to be expected from that quarter.
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading I glanced at the messenger.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading Evidently there was no help to be expected from that quarter.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading I Enter the Astrologer's House.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I Enter the Astrologer's House.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was plain that whatever I decided to do must be done quickly.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
a person who carries a message
From this reading I glanced at the messenger.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading It was plain that whatever I decided to do must be done quickly.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
not any; not one
From this reading Evidently there was no help to be expected from that quarter.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading It was plain that whatever I decided to do must be done quickly.
one of four equal parts
From this reading Evidently there was no help to be expected from that quarter.
with speed
From this reading It was plain that whatever I decided to do must be done quickly.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
not in physical motion
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was plain that whatever I decided to do must be done quickly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I Enter the Astrologer's House.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Evidently there was no help to be expected from that quarter.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was plain that whatever I decided to do must be done quickly.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was plain that whatever I decided to do must be done quickly.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He sat quite still, but his shrewd, beady eyes were fixed on me as if to read my every thought.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading It was plain that whatever I decided to do must be done quickly.
Chapter 4 of My Sword's My Fortune: A Story of Old France by Herbert Hayens holds 237 sentences, grouped into 48 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 237 sentences of My Sword's My Fortune: A Story of Old France, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of My Sword's My Fortune: A Story of Old France by Herbert Hayens exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 237 sentences, grouped into 48 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 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 48 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 My Sword's My Fortune: A Story of Old France by Herbert Hayens on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6262 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27325 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #27325, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 521 minutes of reading across 1253 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through My Sword's My Fortune: A Story of Old France section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of My Sword's My Fortune: A Story of Old France 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 My Sword's My Fortune: A Story of Old France, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
