Chapter 8 of The Custom of the Country 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 VIII
Chapter 8 of The Custom of the Country is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
She faced him limpidly. "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel. I'm blown to bits. He had his open car." Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.
Chapter 8 of The Custom of the Country 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.
spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading “"No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.”
plural of “bit” — a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading “I'm blown to bits.”
being moved or acted upon by moving air or vapor
From this reading “I'm blown to bits.”
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading “Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.”
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading “She faced him limpidly.”
raise from a lower to a higher position
From this reading “"No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.”
either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading “Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.”
past form of “twitch” — make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion
From this reading “Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.”
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 "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.
spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
plural of “bit” — a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading I'm blown to bits.
being moved or acted upon by moving air or vapor
From this reading I'm blown to bits.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading He had his open car."
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading She faced him limpidly.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had his open car."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had his open car."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She faced him limpidly.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had his open car."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm blown to bits.
raise from a lower to a higher position
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
in a clear and lucid manner
From this reading She faced him limpidly.
either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.
move something or somebody to a lower position
From this reading Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
not any; not one
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
being perceived or observed
From this reading Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading He had his open car."
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She faced him limpidly.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
not in physical motion
From this reading Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I'm blown to bits.
past form of “twitch” — make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion
From this reading Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Her colour was still high, and Ralph noticed that her lower lip twitched a little.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "No; I couldn't find one that would bring me--so Peter gave me a lift, like an angel.
Chapter 8 of The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton 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 8 holds 407 sentences of The Custom of the Country, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton 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 8 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 Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7166 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11052 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11052, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 597 minutes of reading across 1434 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Custom of the Country section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of The Custom of the Country 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 Custom of the Country, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
