Chapter 7 of The Bishop's Apron is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of The Bishop's Apron is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way. Mrs. Fitzherbert opened her eyes wide and stared at him. “What on earth are you talking about?” “I don’t know how I can express myself more plainly,” he laughed. “My dear Canon, I haven’t danced for fifteen years.”
Chapter 7 of The Bishop's Apron is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 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.
a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field of art or philosophy
From this reading ““My dear Canon, I haven’t danced for fifteen years.””
an artistic form of nonverbal communication
From this reading ““May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.”
past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way
From this reading ““My dear Canon, I haven’t danced for fifteen years.””
give expression to
From this reading ““I don’t know how I can express myself more plainly,” he laughed.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading ““My dear Canon, I haven’t danced for fifteen years.””
being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress)
From this reading ““May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.”
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading ““I don’t know how I can express myself more plainly,” he laughed.”
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading “Mrs. Fitzherbert opened her eyes wide and stared at him.”
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.
In this reading ““My dear Canon, I haven’t danced for fifteen years.””
In this reading “Mrs. Fitzherbert opened her eyes wide and stared at him.”
used with question words to convey surprise
In this reading ““What on earth are you talking about?””
In this reading ““May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.”
In this reading ““My dear Canon, I haven’t danced for fifteen years.””
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 “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “What on earth are you talking about?”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mrs. Fitzherbert opened her eyes wide and stared at him.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “What on earth are you talking about?”
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Mrs. Fitzherbert opened her eyes wide and stared at him.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “I don’t know how I can express myself more plainly,” he laughed.
a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field of art or philosophy
From this reading “My dear Canon, I haven’t danced for fifteen years.”
an artistic form of nonverbal communication
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way
From this reading “My dear Canon, I haven’t danced for fifteen years.”
dearly loved
From this reading “My dear Canon, I haven’t danced for fifteen years.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I don’t know how I can express myself more plainly,” he laughed.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading “What on earth are you talking about?”
give expression to
From this reading “I don’t know how I can express myself more plainly,” he laughed.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Mrs. Fitzherbert opened her eyes wide and stared at him.
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading “My dear Canon, I haven’t danced for fifteen years.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Fitzherbert opened her eyes wide and stared at him.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “My dear Canon, I haven’t danced for fifteen years.”
being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress)
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “My dear Canon, I haven’t danced for fifteen years.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Fitzherbert opened her eyes wide and stared at him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Mrs. Fitzherbert opened her eyes wide and stared at him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I don’t know how I can express myself more plainly,” he laughed.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I don’t know how I can express myself more plainly,” he laughed.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading “I don’t know how I can express myself more plainly,” he laughed.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading “I don’t know how I can express myself more plainly,” he laughed.
used to form the superlative
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Fitzherbert opened her eyes wide and stared at him.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “My dear Canon, I haven’t danced for fifteen years.”
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading “I don’t know how I can express myself more plainly,” he laughed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “What on earth are you talking about?”
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Mrs. Fitzherbert opened her eyes wide and stared at him.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading “I don’t know how I can express myself more plainly,” he laughed.
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Mrs. Fitzherbert opened her eyes wide and stared at him.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading “What on earth are you talking about?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” he asked, smiling, but in the most formal way.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What on earth are you talking about?”
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Mrs. Fitzherbert opened her eyes wide and stared at him.
a late time of life
From this reading “My dear Canon, I haven’t danced for fifteen years.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “What on earth are you talking about?”
Chapter 7 of The Bishop's Apron by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 7 holds 414 sentences of The Bishop's Apron, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of The Bishop's Apron by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 7 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 The Bishop's Apron by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4707 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #47523 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #47523, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 392 minutes of reading across 942 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Bishop's Apron section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Bishop's Apron 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 The Bishop's Apron, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
