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Painted Veils
Painted Veils

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Painted Veils is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Painted Veils
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
They went to Invern's rooms.
Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.
Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.
He appreciated the artistic tastes of his friend and often wondered over his future.
The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.
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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 IV

Chapter 4 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
They went to Invern's rooms.
Line 2
Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.
Line 3
Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.
Line 4
He appreciated the artistic tastes of his friend and often wondered over his future.
/hiː əˈpriːʃieɪtɪd ðə ɑːrˈtɪstɪk teɪsts ʌv hɪz frend ənd ˈɔːfən ˈwʌndərd ˈoʊvər hɪz ˈfjuːtʃər/
Line 5
The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

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.

appreciated adjective US /əˈpriːʃieɪtɪd/

fully understood or grasped

From this reading “He appreciated the artistic tastes of his friend and often wondered over his future.”

artistic adjective US /ɑːrˈtɪstɪk/

relating to or characteristic of art or artists

From this reading “He appreciated the artistic tastes of his friend and often wondered over his future.”

Chopin noun US /ˈʃoʊpæn/

the music of Chopin

From this reading “Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.”

disturb verb US /dɪˈstɜːrb/

move deeply

From this reading “The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.”

drummed verb US /drʌmd/

inflected form of “drum” — make a rhythmic sound

From this reading “Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.”

lungs noun US /lʌŋz/

plural of “lung” — either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood

From this reading “Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.”

presumed verb US /prəˈzuːmd/

past form of “presume” — take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof

From this reading “The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.”

tastes noun US /teɪsts/

plural of “taste” — the sensation that results when taste buds in the tongue and throat convey information about the chemical composition of a soluble stimulus

From this reading “He appreciated the artistic tastes of his friend and often wondered over his future.”

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.

at length preposition + noun

in a lengthy or prolix manner

In this reading “Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.”

on the couch preposition + article + noun counted as “on … couch”

In this reading “Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.”

too full adverb + adjective

In this reading “Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.”

All words in this reading · 67

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.

Albrecht

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

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

appreciatedadjectiveUS /əˈpriːʃieɪtɪd/

fully understood or grasped

From this reading He appreciated the artistic tastes of his friend and often wondered over his future.

artisticadjectiveUS /ɑːrˈtɪstɪk/

relating to or characteristic of art or artists

From this reading He appreciated the artistic tastes of his friend and often wondered over his future.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

ChopinnounUS /ˈʃoʊpæn/

the music of Chopin

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

couchnounUS /kaʊtʃ/

an upholstered seat for more than one person

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

didn't

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

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

disturbverbUS /dɪˈstɜːrb/

move deeply

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

drummedverbUS /drʌmd/

inflected form of “drum” — make a rhythmic sound

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

Dürer

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

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

easy-going

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

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

foodnounUS /fuːd/

any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading He appreciated the artistic tastes of his friend and often wondered over his future.

friendshipnounUS /ˈfrendʃɪp/

the state of being friends (or friendly)

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

futureadjectiveUS /ˈfjuːtʃər/

yet to be or coming

From this reading He appreciated the artistic tastes of his friend and often wondered over his future.

gazenounUS /ɡeɪz/

a long fixed look

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

hail-fellow-well-metadjective

heartily friendly and congenial

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He appreciated the artistic tastes of his friend and often wondered over his future.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

hungverbUS /hʌŋ/

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

Invern's

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

From this reading They went to Invern's rooms.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

levelnounUS /ˈlevəl/

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

lolled

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

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

lungsnounUS /lʌŋz/

plural of “lung” — either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

Melancolia

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

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

nocturnes

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

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading He appreciated the artistic tastes of his friend and often wondered over his future.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading He appreciated the artistic tastes of his friend and often wondered over his future.

presumedverbUS /prəˈzuːmd/

past form of “presume” — take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

roomsnounUS /ruːmz/

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading They went to Invern's rooms.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

singverbUS /sɪŋ/

deliver by singing

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

StonenounUS /stoʊn/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

studiedadjectiveUS /ˈstʌdid/

produced or marked by conscious design or premeditation

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

tastesnounUS /teɪsts/

plural of “taste” — the sensation that results when taste buds in the tongue and throat convey information about the chemical composition of a soluble stimulus

From this reading He appreciated the artistic tastes of his friend and often wondered over his future.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They went to Invern's rooms.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading They went to Invern's rooms.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

Ulick

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

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

valses

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

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading They went to Invern's rooms.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Her lungs were too full of food to sing, she said, so she drummed some Chopin nocturnes and valses.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Stone lolled at length on the couch and studied the Albrecht Dürer Melancolia which hung level with his gaze.

wonderedverbUS /ˈwʌndərd/

past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something

From this reading He appreciated the artistic tastes of his friend and often wondered over his future.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading The easy-going friendship of Ulick and the girl didn't disturb him; she was hail-fellow-well-met with every man she knew; yet he also knew that no one presumed too much with her.

Chapter 4 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 4 of Painted Veils contain?

Chapter 4 holds 413 sentences of Painted Veils, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 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 4 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

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.