Chapter 4 of The Curved Blades is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Curved Blades is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure." "How was she then dressed?" "In the gown she had worn during the evening." "And her jewels?" "When I left my aunt, she was wearing her pearls and the other jewelry she had worn with her evening dress.
Chapter 4 of The Curved Blades is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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 woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions
From this reading “"In the gown she had worn during the evening."”
an adornment (as a bracelet or ring or necklace) made of precious metals and set with gems (or imitation gems)
From this reading “"When I left my aunt, she was wearing her pearls and the other jewelry she had worn with her evening dress.”
plural of “jewel” — a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry
From this reading “"And her jewels?"”
relating to Paul the Apostle or his doctrines
From this reading “"Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."”
plural of “pearl” — a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel
From this reading “"When I left my aunt, she was wearing her pearls and the other jewelry she had worn with her evening dress.”
one of four equal parts
From this reading “"Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."”
(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it)
From this reading “"When I left my aunt, she was wearing her pearls and the other jewelry she had worn with her evening dress.”
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading “"In the gown she had worn during the evening."”
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 “"Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."”
In this reading “"Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."”
In this reading “"Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."”
In this reading “"In the gown she had worn during the evening."”
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.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And her jewels?"
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading "When I left my aunt, she was wearing her pearls and the other jewelry she had worn with her evening dress.
put on clothes
From this reading "When I left my aunt, she was wearing her pearls and the other jewelry she had worn with her evening dress.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading "How was she then dressed?"
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading "In the gown she had worn during the evening."
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading "In the gown she had worn during the evening."
a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions
From this reading "In the gown she had worn during the evening."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "In the gown she had worn during the evening."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "And her jewels?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How was she then dressed?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "In the gown she had worn during the evening."
an adornment (as a bracelet or ring or necklace) made of precious metals and set with gems (or imitation gems)
From this reading "When I left my aunt, she was wearing her pearls and the other jewelry she had worn with her evening dress.
plural of “jewel” — a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry
From this reading "And her jewels?"
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading "When I left my aunt, she was wearing her pearls and the other jewelry she had worn with her evening dress.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "When I left my aunt, she was wearing her pearls and the other jewelry she had worn with her evening dress.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "When I left my aunt, she was wearing her pearls and the other jewelry she had worn with her evening dress.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
relating to Paul the Apostle or his doctrines
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
plural of “pearl” — a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel
From this reading "When I left my aunt, she was wearing her pearls and the other jewelry she had worn with her evening dress.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
one of four equal parts
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "How was she then dressed?"
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "In the gown she had worn during the evening."
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "How was she then dressed?"
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading "Not so late, I think," returned Pauline; "probably at quarter or twenty minutes past twelve,--I am not sure."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "How was she then dressed?"
(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it)
From this reading "When I left my aunt, she was wearing her pearls and the other jewelry she had worn with her evening dress.
at the time that
From this reading "When I left my aunt, she was wearing her pearls and the other jewelry she had worn with her evening dress.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "When I left my aunt, she was wearing her pearls and the other jewelry she had worn with her evening dress.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading "In the gown she had worn during the evening."
Chapter 4 of The Curved Blades by Carolyn Wells holds 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 4 holds 426 sentences of The Curved Blades, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Curved Blades by Carolyn Wells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Curved Blades by Carolyn Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5105 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45622 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #45622, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 425 minutes of reading across 1021 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Curved Blades section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Curved Blades 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 Curved Blades, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
