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Sant' Ilario
Sant' Ilario

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Sant' Ilario is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Sant' Ilario
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.
He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.
The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.
He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.
The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.
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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.

Sant' Ilario

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Sant' Ilario is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.
Line 2
He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.
Line 3
The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.
/ðə ˈklʌstərɪŋ blæk kɜːrlz wɜːr ˈkloʊsli krɑːpt tuː waɪl ðə ˈdeləkət dɑːrk ˈmʌstæʃ hæd ˈslaɪtli ˈθɪkənd/
Line 4
He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.
Line 5
The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

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.

browned adjective US /braʊnd/

(of skin) deeply suntanned

From this reading “He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.”

clustering noun US /ˈklʌstərɪŋ/

a grouping of a number of similar things

From this reading “The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.”

cropped adjective US /krɑːpt/

(of land or soil) used for growing crops

From this reading “The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.”

Gouache noun US /ˈɡuːɑːʃ/

an opaque watercolor prepared with gum

From this reading “Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.”

inured adjective US /ˌɪˈnjʊrd/

made tough by habitual exposure

From this reading “He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.”

Mayer noun US /ˈmeɪər/

United States physicist (born in Germany) noted for her research on the structure of the atom (1906-1972)

From this reading “The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.”

thickened adjective US /ˈθɪkənd/

made or having become thick

From this reading “The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.”

unceasing adjective US /ənˈsiːsɪŋ/

continuing forever or indefinitely

From this reading “He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.”

All words in this reading · 104

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 Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.

activitynounUS /ækˈtɪvəti/

any specific behavior

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/

engaged in or accustomed to close observation

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

Anastase

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

From this reading Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.

brownedadjectiveUS /braʊnd/

(of skin) deeply suntanned

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

builtadjectiveUS /bɪlt/

(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.

characteristicnounUS /ˌkerəktərˈɪstɪk/

a prominent attribute or aspect of something

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

closelyadverbUS /ˈkloʊsli/

in a close relation or position in time or space

From this reading The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.

clusteringnounUS /ˈklʌstərɪŋ/

a grouping of a number of similar things

From this reading The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.

compactnounUS /ˈkɑːmpækt/

a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

constantadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnstənt/

unvarying in nature

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

croppedadjectiveUS /krɑːpt/

(of land or soil) used for growing crops

From this reading The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.

curiositynounUS /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsəti/

a state in which you want to learn more about something

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

curlsnounUS /kɜːrlz/

plural of “curl” — a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)

From this reading The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

delicateadjectiveUS /ˈdeləkət/

exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

doingsnounUS /ˈduːɪŋz/

manner of acting or controlling yourself

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

DonnanounUS /ˈdɑːnə/

an Italian woman of rank

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

dreamyadjectiveUS /ˈdriːmi/

dreamy in mood or nature

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

exposurenounUS /ɪkˈspoʊʒər/

vulnerability to the elements; to the action of heat or cold or wind or rain

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

expressionnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃən/

the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

frameverbUS /freɪm/

enclose in or as if in a frame

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

GouachenounUS /ˈɡuːɑːʃ/

an opaque watercolor prepared with gum

From this reading Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.

grownadjectiveUS /ɡroʊn/

(of animals) fully developed

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

hardenedadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrdənd/

used of persons; emotionally hardened

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.

inuredadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnjʊrd/

made tough by habitual exposure

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

MayernounUS /ˈmeɪər/

United States physicist (born in Germany) noted for her research on the structure of the atom (1906-1972)

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

moustachenounUS /ˈmʌstæʃ/

an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip

From this reading The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.

nervouslyadverbUS /ˈnɜːrvəsli/

in an anxiously nervous manner

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

painternounUS /ˈpeɪntər/

an artist who paints

From this reading Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.

paintingnounUS /ˈpeɪntɪŋ/

graphic art consisting of an artistic composition made by applying paints to a surface

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

peacenounUS /piːs/

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

perpetualadjectiveUS /pərˈpetʃuːəl/

continuing forever or indefinitely

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

portraitnounUS /ˈpɔːrtrət/

a word picture of a person's appearance and character

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

quickadjectiveUS /kwɪk/

accomplished rapidly and without delay

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

readinessnounUS /ˈredinəs/

the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action)

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

servicenounUS /ˈsɜːrvəs/

work done by one person or group that benefits another

From this reading Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.

sinews

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

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

skinnounUS /skɪn/

a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

slightlyadverbUS /ˈslaɪtli/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

soldiernounUS /ˈsoʊldʒər/

an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

soldierlyadjective

(of persons) befitting a warrior

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

stoolnounUS /stuːl/

a simple seat without a back or arms

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

straightadjectiveUS /streɪt/

successive (without a break)

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

strengthenedadjectiveUS /ˈstreŋθənd/

given added strength or support

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.

thickenedadjectiveUS /ˈθɪkənd/

made or having become thick

From this reading The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.

Tullia

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

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

TwonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.

unceasingadjectiveUS /ənˈsiːsɪŋ/

continuing forever or indefinitely

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

weathernounUS /ˈweðər/

the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading The clustering black curls were closely cropped, too, while the delicate dark moustache had slightly thickened.

wide-awakeadjective

fully awake

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He was still a light man, nervously built, with small hands and feet, and a delicate face; but constant exposure to the weather had browned his skin, and a life of unceasing activity had strengthened his sinews and hardened his compact frame.

world'snounUS /wɜːrldz/

possessive form of “world” — everything that exists anywhere

From this reading The dreamy look that was so often in his face in the days when he sat upon a high stool painting the portrait of Donna Tullia Mayer, had given place to an expression of wide-awake curiosity in the world's doings.

wroughtadjectiveUS /rɔːt/

shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)

From this reading Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading He had grown to be a very soldierly young fellow, straight and alert, quick of hand and eye, inured to that perpetual readiness which is the first characteristic of the good soldier, whether in peace or war.

Zouaves

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

From this reading Two years of service in the Zouaves had wrought a change in Anastase Gouache, the painter.

Chapter 1 of Sant' Ilario by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford holds 196 sentences, grouped into 40 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 1 of Sant' Ilario contain?

Chapter 1 holds 196 sentences of Sant' Ilario, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Sant' Ilario by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 196 sentences, grouped into 40 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 1 of Sant' Ilario?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Sant' Ilario

Common questions about reading Sant' Ilario by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Sant' Ilario?

Yes. All 9272 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5227 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Sant' Ilario is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5227, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Sant' Ilario take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1855 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Sant' Ilario section by section

How to work through Sant' Ilario section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of Sant' Ilario 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 Sant' Ilario

Words and structures a reader meets early in Sant' Ilario, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sant' Ilario; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Service
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sant' Ilario; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Zouaves
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sant' Ilario; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wrought
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sant' Ilario; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.