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Pencil Sketches
Pencil Sketches

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of Pencil Sketches is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Pencil Sketches
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."
"Do--by all means," exclaimed Fitzsimmons.
"Set me up at a raffle."
"No," replied Miss Atherley, "we cannot conveniently raffle for you, as we have no dice at hand.
Another way will do as well."
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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.

Pencil Sketches

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of Pencil Sketches is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."
Line 2
"Do--by all means," exclaimed Fitzsimmons.
Line 3
"Set me up at a raffle."
/set miː ʌp æt ə ˈræfəl/
Line 4
"No," replied Miss Atherley, "we cannot conveniently raffle for you, as we have no dice at hand.
Line 5
Another way will do as well."
/əˈnʌðər weɪ wɪl duː æz wel/

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.

chance noun US /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading “"Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."”

companions noun US /kəmˈpænjənz/

plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading “"Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."”

conveniently adverb US /kənˈviːnjəntli/

in a convenient manner

From this reading “"No," replied Miss Atherley, "we cannot conveniently raffle for you, as we have no dice at hand.”

dice noun US /daɪs/

a small cube with 1 to 6 spots on the six faces; used in gambling to generate random numbers

From this reading “"No," replied Miss Atherley, "we cannot conveniently raffle for you, as we have no dice at hand.”

draw verb US /drɔː/

cause to move by pulling

From this reading “"Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."”

Ladies noun US /ˈleɪdiz/

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading “"Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."”

lots noun US /lɑːts/

a large number or amount

From this reading “"Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."”

raffle noun US /ˈræfəl/

a lottery in which the prizes are goods rather than money

From this reading “"Set me up at a raffle."”

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.

draw lots verb + noun

In this reading “"Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."”

looking round noun + noun

In this reading “"Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."”

fair chance adjective + noun

a reasonable probability of success

In this reading “"Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."”

all means adjective + noun

In this reading “"Do--by all means," exclaimed Fitzsimmons.”

at hand preposition + noun

close in space; within reach

In this reading “"No," replied Miss Atherley, "we cannot conveniently raffle for you, as we have no dice at hand.”

All words in this reading · 47

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 "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "Do--by all means," exclaimed Fitzsimmons.

AnotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Another way will do as well."

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "No," replied Miss Atherley, "we cannot conveniently raffle for you, as we have no dice at hand.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Set me up at a raffle."

Atherley

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

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "Do--by all means," exclaimed Fitzsimmons.

cannot

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

From this reading "No," replied Miss Atherley, "we cannot conveniently raffle for you, as we have no dice at hand.

chancenounUS /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

companionsnounUS /kəmˈpænjənz/

plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

convenientlyadverbUS /kənˈviːnjəntli/

in a convenient manner

From this reading "No," replied Miss Atherley, "we cannot conveniently raffle for you, as we have no dice at hand.

dicenounUS /daɪs/

a small cube with 1 to 6 spots on the six faces; used in gambling to generate random numbers

From this reading "No," replied Miss Atherley, "we cannot conveniently raffle for you, as we have no dice at hand.

Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "Do--by all means," exclaimed Fitzsimmons.

drawverbUS /drɔː/

cause to move by pulling

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading "Do--by all means," exclaimed Fitzsimmons.

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

Fitzsimmons

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

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading "No," replied Miss Atherley, "we cannot conveniently raffle for you, as we have no dice at hand.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "No," replied Miss Atherley, "we cannot conveniently raffle for you, as we have no dice at hand.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

LadiesnounUS /ˈleɪdiz/

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

lotsnounUS /lɑːts/

a large number or amount

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Set me up at a raffle."

meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading "Do--by all means," exclaimed Fitzsimmons.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "No," replied Miss Atherley, "we cannot conveniently raffle for you, as we have no dice at hand.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

rafflenounUS /ˈræfəl/

a lottery in which the prizes are goods rather than money

From this reading "Set me up at a raffle."

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "No," replied Miss Atherley, "we cannot conveniently raffle for you, as we have no dice at hand.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

SetverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading "Set me up at a raffle."

supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "Set me up at a raffle."

uspronounUS /ʌs/

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

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Another way will do as well."

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "Ladies," said Miss Atherley, looking round to her companions, "let us try a fair chance of Mr. Fitzsimmons--suppose we draw lots for him."

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Another way will do as well."

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Another way will do as well."

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "No," replied Miss Atherley, "we cannot conveniently raffle for you, as we have no dice at hand.

Chapter 10 of Pencil Sketches by Eliza Leslie holds 396 sentences, grouped into 80 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 10 of Pencil Sketches contain?

Chapter 10 holds 396 sentences of Pencil Sketches, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of Pencil Sketches by Eliza Leslie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 396 sentences, grouped into 80 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 10 of Pencil Sketches?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 Pencil Sketches

Common questions about reading Pencil Sketches by Eliza Leslie on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Pencil Sketches?

Yes. All 6729 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37573 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Pencil Sketches is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37573, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Pencil Sketches take to read?

About 560 minutes of reading across 1346 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Pencil Sketches section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of Pencil Sketches 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 Pencil Sketches

Words and structures a reader meets early in Pencil Sketches, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Outlines
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pencil Sketches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Character
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Manners
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pencil Sketches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Leslie
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pencil Sketches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.