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Painted Veils
Painted Veils

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Painted Veils is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By James Huneker • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Painted Veils
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
La Vérité toute nue...
Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.
At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.
At the second gate, the warder stripped her; he took the pendants from her ears.
At the third gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the precious stones that adorn her neck.
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.

Painted Veils

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Painted Veils is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
La Vérité toute nue...
Line 2
Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.
Line 3
At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.
/æt ðə fɜːrst ɡeɪt ðə ˈwɔːrdər strɪpt hɜːr hiː tʊk ðə haɪ tiˈɑːrə frʌm hɜːr hed/
Line 4
At the second gate, the warder stripped her; he took the pendants from her ears.
Line 5
At the third gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the precious stones that adorn her neck.
/æt ðə θɜːrd ɡeɪt ðə ˈwɔːrdər strɪpt hɜːr hiː tʊk ɔːf ðə ˈpreʃəs stoʊnz ðæt əˈdɔːrn hɜːr nek/

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.

abode noun US /əˈboʊd/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading “Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
adorn verb US /əˈdɔːrn/

make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.

From this reading “At the third gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the precious stones that adorn her neck.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
immutable adjective US /ˌɪˈmjuːtəbəl/

not subject or susceptible to change or variation in form or quality or nature

From this reading “Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sin noun US /sɪn/

estrangement from god

From this reading “Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stripped adjective US /strɪpt/

having only essential or minimal features

From this reading “At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tiara noun US /tiˈɑːrə/

a jeweled headdress worn by women on formal occasions

From this reading “At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
warder noun US /ˈwɔːrdər/

a person who works in a prison and is in charge of prisoners

From this reading “At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whence adverb US /wens/

an old word meaning “from where”

From this reading “Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

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.

precious stones adjective + noun counted as “precious stone”

a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry

In this reading “At the third gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the precious stones that adorn her neck.”

4,318 times in 225,867 chapters
took off verb + particle counted as “take off”

leave

In this reading “At the third gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the precious stones that adorn her neck.”

22,559 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 51

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.

abodenounUS /əˈboʊd/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
adornverbUS /əˈdɔːrn/

make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.

From this reading At the third gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the precious stones that adorn her neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bentnounUS /bent/

a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/

a female human offspring

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
earsnounUS /ɪrz/

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading At the second gate, the warder stripped her; he took the pendants from her ears.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
gatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
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 At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
immutableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈmjuːtəbəl/

not subject or susceptible to change or variation in form or quality or nature

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Istar

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

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Pending verification
Je

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

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Pending verification
LanounUS /lɑː/

a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading La Vérité toute nue...

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
maîtres

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

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Pending verification
mes

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

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Pending verification
necknounUS /nek/

the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

From this reading At the third gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the precious stones that adorn her neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nue

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

From this reading La Vérité toute nue...

Pending verification
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading At the third gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the precious stones that adorn her neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pendants

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

From this reading At the second gate, the warder stripped her; he took the pendants from her ears.

Pending verification
preciousadjectiveUS /ˈpreʃəs/

characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for

From this reading At the third gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the precious stones that adorn her neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading At the second gate, the warder stripped her; he took the pendants from her ears.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seven-gated

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

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Pending verification
SinnounUS /sɪn/

estrangement from god

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Steeplejacknoun

someone who builds or maintains very tall structures

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stepsnounUS /steps/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stonesnounUS /stoʊnz/

plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading At the third gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the precious stones that adorn her neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strippedadjectiveUS /strɪpt/

having only essential or minimal features

From this reading At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading At the third gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the precious stones that adorn her neck.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thirdnounUS /θɜːrd/

one of three equal parts of a divisible whole

From this reading At the third gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the precious stones that adorn her neck.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tiaranounUS /tiˈɑːrə/

a jeweled headdress worn by women on formal occasions

From this reading At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toute

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

From this reading La Vérité toute nue...

Pending verification
TowardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
vomis

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

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Pending verification
Vérité

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

From this reading La Vérité toute nue...

Pending verification
wardernounUS /ˈwɔːrdər/

a person who works in a prison and is in charge of prisoners

From this reading At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara from her head.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whenceadverbUS /wens/

an old word meaning “from where”

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Je vomis mes maîtres Steeplejack Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He entered, toward the abode whence there is no return.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 1 of Painted Veils by James Huneker holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 1 of Painted Veils contain?

Chapter 1 holds 413 sentences of Painted Veils, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Painted Veils by James Huneker exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 1 of Painted Veils?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Painted Veils

Common questions about reading Painted Veils by James Huneker on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Painted Veils?

Yes. All 5843 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #47141 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Painted Veils is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #47141, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Painted Veils take to read?

About 486 minutes of reading across 1169 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Painted Veils section by section

How to work through Painted Veils section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 14 chapters of Painted Veils to begin.

  2. Read one section

    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 Painted Veils

Words and structures a reader meets early in Painted Veils, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Toute
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Painted Veils; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vomis
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Painted Veils; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Steeplejack
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Painted Veils; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Toward
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Painted Veils; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.