Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Pelham — Volume 08
Pelham — Volume 08

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Pelham — Volume 08 is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Pelham — Volume 08
Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.
--Shakspeare.
We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.
We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.
"This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."
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.

Pelham — Volume 08

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Pelham — Volume 08 is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.
/tɪz truː ðæt wiː ɑːr ɪn ɡreɪt ˈdeɪndʒər ðə ˈɡreɪtər ˈðerfɔːr ʃʊd ˈaʊər ˈkɜːrədʒ biː/
Line 2
--Shakspeare.
Line 3
We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.
/wiː prəˈsiːdɪd ə ʃɔːrt weɪ wen wiː wɜːr stɑːpt baɪ ə dɔːr ðɪs dʒɑːb ˈoʊpənd ənd ə ˈneroʊ ˈsterkeɪs ˈlaɪtəd frʌm əˈbʌv baɪ ə dɪm læmp wɑːz bɪˈfɔːr ʌs/
Line 4
We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.
/wiː əˈsendɪd ənd faʊnd aʊərˈselvz ɪn ə sɔːrt ʌv ˈɡæləri hiːr hʌŋ əˈnʌðər læmp bɪˈniːθ wɪtʃ dʒɑːb ˈoʊpənd ə ˈklɑːzət/
Line 5
"This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

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.

ascended verb US /əˈsendɪd/

past form of “ascend” — travel up

From this reading “We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.”

closet noun US /ˈklɑːzət/

a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space

From this reading “We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.”

dim adjective US /dɪm/

lacking in light; not bright or harsh

From this reading “We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.”

gallery noun US /ˈɡæləri/

spectators at a golf or tennis match

From this reading “We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.”

Job noun US /dʒɑːb/

the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money

From this reading “We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.”

keys noun US /kiːz/

plural of “key” — metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated

From this reading “"This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."”

lamp noun US /læmp/

an artificial source of visible illumination

From this reading “We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.”

staircase noun US /ˈsterkeɪs/

a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps

From this reading “We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

ascendedverbUS /əˈsendɪd/

past form of “ascend” — travel up

From this reading We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.

Bess

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

From this reading "This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

closetnounUS /ˈklɑːzət/

a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space

From this reading We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.

couragenounUS /ˈkɜːrədʒ/

a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

dangernounUS /ˈdeɪndʒər/

the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

dimadjectiveUS /dɪm/

lacking in light; not bright or harsh

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading "This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

gallerynounUS /ˈɡæləri/

spectators at a golf or tennis match

From this reading We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.

generallyadverbUS /ˈdʒenərəli/

usually; as a rule

From this reading "This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

greateradjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtər/

greater in size or importance or degree

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading "This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

hungverbUS /hʌŋ/

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

From this reading We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

JobnounUS /dʒɑːb/

the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

keysnounUS /kiːz/

plural of “key” — metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated

From this reading "This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

lampnounUS /læmp/

an artificial source of visible illumination

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

leavesnounUS /liːvz/

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading "This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

lightedadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪtəd/

set afire or burning

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.

openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

ourselvespronounUS /aʊərˈselvz/

used when we are both doing the action and receiving it

From this reading We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading "This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

proceededverbUS /prəˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “proceed” — continue talking

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

Shakspeare

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

From this reading --Shakspeare.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.

staircasenounUS /ˈsterkeɪs/

a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

stoppedadjectiveUS /stɑːpt/

(of a nose) blocked

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading "This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

thereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

TisnounUS /tɪz/

plural of “ti” — a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading 'Tis true that we are in great danger; The greater, therefore, should our courage be.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading We proceeded a short way, when we were stopped by a door; this Job opened, and a narrow staircase, lighted from above, by a dim lamp, was before us.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading "This is the place where Bess generally leaves the keys," said he, "we shall find them here, I hope."

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading We ascended, and found ourselves in a sort of gallery; here hung another lamp, beneath which Job opened a closet.

Chapter 4 of Pelham — Volume 08 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton holds 224 sentences, grouped into 45 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 Pelham — Volume 08 contain?

Chapter 4 holds 224 sentences of Pelham — Volume 08, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Pelham — Volume 08 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 224 sentences, grouped into 45 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 Pelham — Volume 08?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 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 Pelham — Volume 08

Common questions about reading Pelham — Volume 08 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Pelham — Volume 08?

Yes. All 722 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7622 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Pelham — Volume 08 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7622, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Pelham — Volume 08 take to read?

About 60 minutes of reading across 145 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Pelham — Volume 08 section by section

How to work through Pelham — Volume 08 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of Pelham — Volume 08 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 Pelham — Volume 08

Words and structures a reader meets early in Pelham — Volume 08, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Henry
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pelham — Volume 08; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sworn
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pelham — Volume 08; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Highness
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pelham — Volume 08; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shall
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pelham — Volume 08; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.