Chapter 13 of Poor Miss Finch is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of Poor Miss Finch is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I observed Oscar, next. His eyes were fixed on Lucilla--absorbed in watching her. He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself. "Mind what you are doing!" he said. "Look at her, Nugent--look at her."
Chapter 13 of Poor Miss Finch is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/77 · 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.
giving or marked by complete attention to
From this reading “His eyes were fixed on Lucilla--absorbed in watching her.”
having life or vigor or spirit
From this reading “He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.”
relating to societies in which capital needed to industrialize is in short supply
From this reading “He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.”
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading “His eyes were fixed on Lucilla--absorbed in watching her.”
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading “I observed Oscar, next.”
an annual award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in motion picture production and performance
From this reading “I observed Oscar, next.”
not clearly expressed or understood
From this reading “He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.”
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading “His eyes were fixed on Lucilla--absorbed in watching her.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
giving or marked by complete attention to
From this reading His eyes were fixed on Lucilla--absorbed in watching her.
having life or vigor or spirit
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Mind what you are doing!" he said.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
relating to societies in which capital needed to industrialize is in short supply
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading "Mind what you are doing!" he said.
opinion or judgment
From this reading His eyes were fixed on Lucilla--absorbed in watching her.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading His eyes were fixed on Lucilla--absorbed in watching her.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading His eyes were fixed on Lucilla--absorbed in watching her.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His eyes were fixed on Lucilla--absorbed in watching her.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I observed Oscar, next.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading His eyes were fixed on Lucilla--absorbed in watching her.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "Look at her, Nugent--look at her."
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His eyes were fixed on Lucilla--absorbed in watching her.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading "Mind what you are doing!" he said.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading I observed Oscar, next.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading I observed Oscar, next.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading His eyes were fixed on Lucilla--absorbed in watching her.
an annual award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in motion picture production and performance
From this reading I observed Oscar, next.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Mind what you are doing!" he said.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
not clearly expressed or understood
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading His eyes were fixed on Lucilla--absorbed in watching her.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His eyes were fixed on Lucilla--absorbed in watching her.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Mind what you are doing!" he said.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading He spoke to Nugent, without looking at him; animated, as it seemed, by a vague fear for Lucilla, which was slowly developing into a vague fear for himself.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Mind what you are doing!" he said.
Chapter 13 of Poor Miss Finch by Wilkie Collins holds 389 sentences, grouped into 78 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 13 holds 389 sentences of Poor Miss Finch, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of Poor Miss Finch by Wilkie Collins exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 389 sentences, grouped into 78 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 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 78 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 13 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 Poor Miss Finch by Wilkie Collins on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 11370 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3632 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3632, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2274 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Poor Miss Finch section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of Poor Miss Finch 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 Poor Miss Finch, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
