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St. Cuthbert's tower
St. Cuthbert's tower

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of St. Cuthbert's tower is here in full — 201 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, not in the best of tempers at being intercepted in her proposed flight.
Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.
Ah wur goin whoam to get a coop o tea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.”
You thought we’d got all we wanted!” said Olivia, ironically.
Why, we’ve got nothing at all--not even a chair to sit on.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

St. Cuthbert's tower

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of St. Cuthbert's tower is here in full — 201 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempersat being intercepted in her proposed flight.
/ðə ˈestəməbəl ˈserə wɔːl wɑːz æz ʃiː hərˈself wʊd hæv sed nɑːt ɪn ðə best ʌv ˈtempərz æt ˈbiːɪŋ ˌɪntərˈseptəd ɪn hɜːr prəˈpoʊzd flaɪt/
Line 2
Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.
Line 3
Ah wur goinwhoam to get a coop otea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.”
Line 4
You thought we’d got all we wanted!” said Olivia, ironically.
Line 5
Why, we’ve got nothing at all--not even a chair to sit on.

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.

coop noun US /kuːp/

a farm building for housing poultry

From this reading ““Ah wur goin’ whoam to get a coop o’ tea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.””

doorstep noun US /ˈdɔːrstep/

the sill of a door; a horizontal piece of wood or stone that forms the bottom of a doorway and offers support when passing through a doorway

From this reading ““Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.”

estimable adjective US /ˈestəməbəl/

deserving of respect or high regard

From this reading “The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.”

grumbled verb US /ˈɡrʌmbəld/

past form of “grumble” — show one's unhappiness or critical attitude

From this reading ““Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.”

intercepted verb US /ˌɪntərˈseptəd/

past form of “intercept” — seize on its way

From this reading “The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.”

ironically adverb US /aɪˈrɑːnɪkli/

contrary to plan or expectation

From this reading ““You thought we’d got all we wanted!” said Olivia, ironically.”

Sarah noun US /ˈserə/

(Old Testament) the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac

From this reading “The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.”

tempers noun US /ˈtempərz/

plural of “temper” — a sudden outburst of anger

From this reading “The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.”

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.

sit on verb + particle

In this reading ““Why, we’ve got nothing at all--not even a chair to sit on.”

All words in this reading · 64

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 “Ah wur goin’ whoam to get a coop o’ tea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.”

Ah

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

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

Ah'm

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

From this reading “Ah wur goin’ whoam to get a coop o’ tea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.”

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 “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading “Why, we’ve got nothing at all--not even a chair to sit on.

clemmed

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

From this reading “Ah wur goin’ whoam to get a coop o’ tea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.”

coopnounUS /kuːp/

a farm building for housing poultry

From this reading “Ah wur goin’ whoam to get a coop o’ tea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.”

Denison

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

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

doorstepnounUS /ˈdɔːrstep/

the sill of a door; a horizontal piece of wood or stone that forms the bottom of a doorway and offers support when passing through a doorway

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

estimableadjectiveUS /ˈestəməbəl/

deserving of respect or high regard

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading “Why, we’ve got nothing at all--not even a chair to sit on.

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

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

From this reading “Ah wur goin’ whoam to get a coop o’ tea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.”

flightnounUS /flaɪt/

a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “Ah wur goin’ whoam to get a coop o’ tea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.”

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading “Ah wur goin’ whoam to get a coop o’ tea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.”

goin

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

From this reading “Ah wur goin’ whoam to get a coop o’ tea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.”

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

grumbledverbUS /ˈɡrʌmbəld/

past form of “grumble” — show one's unhappiness or critical attitude

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

interceptedverbUS /ˌɪntərˈseptəd/

past form of “intercept” — seize on its way

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

ironicallyadverbUS /aɪˈrɑːnɪkli/

contrary to plan or expectation

From this reading “You thought we’d got all we wanted!” said Olivia, ironically.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “Why, we’ve got nothing at all--not even a chair to sit on.

onounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading “Ah wur goin’ whoam to get a coop o’ tea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

Olivia

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

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

proposedverbUS /prəˈpoʊzd/

past form of “propose” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

SarahnounUS /ˈserə/

(Old Testament) the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

sitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading “Why, we’ve got nothing at all--not even a chair to sit on.

teanounUS /tiː/

a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water

From this reading “Ah wur goin’ whoam to get a coop o’ tea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.”

tempersnounUS /ˈtempərz/

plural of “temper” — a sudden outburst of anger

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading “You thought we’d got all we wanted!” said Olivia, ironically.

thowt

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

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

WallnounUS /wɔːl/

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “You thought we’d got all we wanted!” said Olivia, ironically.

we'd

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

From this reading “You thought we’d got all we wanted!” said Olivia, ironically.

we've

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

From this reading “Why, we’ve got nothing at all--not even a chair to sit on.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

whoam

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

From this reading “Ah wur goin’ whoam to get a coop o’ tea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.”

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading “Why, we’ve got nothing at all--not even a chair to sit on.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading The estimable Sarah Wall was, as she herself would have said, “not in the best of tempers” at being intercepted in her proposed flight.

wur

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

From this reading “Ah wur goin’ whoam to get a coop o’ tea, for Ah’m fair clemmed.”

yepronounUS /jiː/

an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

ye'd

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

From this reading “Ah thowt ye’d got all ye wanted,” she grumbled, as Olivia Denison followed her out on to the doorstep and asked her where she was going.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You thought we’d got all we wanted!” said Olivia, ironically.

Chapter 4 of St. Cuthbert's tower by Florence Warden holds 201 sentences, grouped into 41 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 St. Cuthbert's tower contain?

Chapter 4 holds 201 sentences of St. Cuthbert's tower, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of St. Cuthbert's tower by Florence Warden exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 201 sentences, grouped into 41 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 St. Cuthbert's tower?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 St. Cuthbert's tower

Common questions about reading St. Cuthbert's tower by Florence Warden on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of St. Cuthbert's tower?

Yes. All 5839 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #68544 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of St. Cuthbert's tower is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #68544, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does St. Cuthbert's tower take to read?

About 486 minutes of reading across 1168 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read St. Cuthbert's tower section by section

How to work through St. Cuthbert's tower section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 27 chapters of St. Cuthbert's tower 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 St. Cuthbert's tower

Words and structures a reader meets early in St. Cuthbert's tower, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Modern
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. Cuthbert's tower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Novels
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. Cuthbert's tower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Court
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. Cuthbert's tower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Katharine
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. Cuthbert's tower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.