Chapter 24 of Poor Miss Finch is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIV
Chapter 24 of Poor Miss Finch is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I began to feel a little startled. "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?" I said. "Were you afraid of distressing me?" "I was afraid of losing you," he answered.
Chapter 24 of Poor Miss Finch is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading “"Were you afraid of distressing me?"”
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “"I was afraid of losing you," he answered.”
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “I began to feel a little startled.”
causing distress or worry or anxiety
From this reading “"Were you afraid of distressing me?"”
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading “I began to feel a little startled.”
-ing form of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading “"I was afraid of losing you," he answered.”
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading “I began to feel a little startled.”
express in words
From this reading “"How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"”
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 I began to feel a little startled.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading "Were you afraid of distressing me?"
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "I was afraid of losing you," he answered.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading I began to feel a little startled.
causing distress or worry or anxiety
From this reading "Were you afraid of distressing me?"
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading I began to feel a little startled.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I was afraid of losing you," he answered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I began to feel a little startled.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I began to feel a little startled.
-ing form of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading "I was afraid of losing you," he answered.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I said.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading I began to feel a little startled.
express in words
From this reading "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I began to feel a little startled.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I was afraid of losing you," he answered.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Were you afraid of distressing me?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "How is it that you now tell me of this for the first time?"
Chapter 24 of Poor Miss Finch by Wilkie Collins holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 24 holds 410 sentences of Poor Miss Finch, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 24 of Poor Miss Finch by Wilkie Collins exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 24 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, a public-domain edition. 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.
