Chapter 6 of The Blue Star is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of The Blue Star is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast. “This is not an inn,” she said sourly. “Madame, I am unwell. I can pay.” He fumbled at the waist-pouch.
Chapter 6 of The Blue Star is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
an emblem (a small piece of plastic or cloth or metal) that signifies your status (rank or membership or affiliation etc.)
From this reading “The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.”
an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole
From this reading “The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.”
past form of “fumble” — feel about uncertainly or blindly
From this reading “He fumbled at the waist-pouch.”
a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers
From this reading ““This is not an inn,” she said sourly.”
bordered by a line of things
From this reading “The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.”
past form of “linger” — remain present although waning or gradually dying
From this reading “The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.”
a metallic tapping sound
From this reading “The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.”
somewhat ill or prone to illness
From this reading ““Madame, I am unwell.”
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.
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 The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “Madame, I am unwell.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “This is not an inn,” she said sourly.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
an emblem (a small piece of plastic or cloth or metal) that signifies your status (rank or membership or affiliation etc.)
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading I can pay.”
clothing in general
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
past form of “fumble” — feel about uncertainly or blindly
From this reading He fumbled at the waist-pouch.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He fumbled at the waist-pouch.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Madame, I am unwell.
a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers
From this reading “This is not an inn,” she said sourly.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “This is not an inn,” she said sourly.
bordered by a line of things
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
past form of “linger” — remain present although waning or gradually dying
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading “Madame, I am unwell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
not any; not one
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “This is not an inn,” she said sourly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading I can pay.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “This is not an inn,” she said sourly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “This is not an inn,” she said sourly.
in a sour manner
From this reading “This is not an inn,” she said sourly.
possessing sweep
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “This is not an inn,” she said sourly.
a metallic tapping sound
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
having edges that are jagged from injury
From this reading The lined face held no sympathy as her eyes swept down the detail of his torn, mudstained clothes and lingered for a tick at the servant’s badge on his breast.
somewhat ill or prone to illness
From this reading “Madame, I am unwell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He fumbled at the waist-pouch.
Chapter 6 of The Blue Star by Fletcher Pratt holds 407 sentences, grouped into 82 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 6 holds 407 sentences of The Blue Star, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of The Blue Star by Fletcher Pratt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 407 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 6 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 Blue Star by Fletcher Pratt on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5243 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56889 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #56889, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 436 minutes of reading across 1049 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Blue Star section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Blue Star 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 Blue Star, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
