The Days of My Life: An Autobiography

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Days of My Life: An Autobiography is here in full — 812 sentences across 163 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant • Curated US English Learning Edition

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I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

What had I to do with such thoughts!

I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

"I want to speak to you about papa, Mr. Osborne," I said.

"Will _you_ tell me?--you must know.

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Chapter IV Reading 1/162

The Days of My Life: An Autobiography

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Days of My Life: An Autobiography is here in full — 812 sentences across 163 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/162 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

/aɪ wɑːz ˈveri ˈsɑːri bʌt aɪ kʊd nɑːt help ðə ˈbɜːrnɪŋ hiːt wɪtʃ keɪm tuː maɪ feɪs ənd aɪ kʊd nɑːt lɪft maɪ aɪz fɔːr ðə ˈmoʊmənt tuː miːt hɪz ˈsɔːsi aɪz wɪtʃ siːmd tuː red maɪ θɔːts/

Line 2

What had I to do with such thoughts!

/wʌt hæd aɪ tuː duː wɪð sʌtʃ θɔːts/

Line 3

I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

Line 4

"I want to speak to you about papa, Mr. Osborne," I said.

/aɪ wɑːnt tuː spiːk tuː juː əˈbaʊt ˈpɑːpʌ ˈmɪstər ˈɔːzbɔːrn aɪ sed/

Line 5

"Will _you_ tell me?--you must know.

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.

bitter adjective US /ˈbɪtər/

marked by strong resentment or cynicism

From this reading “I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.”

burning noun US /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading “I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.”

cast verb US /kæst/

put or send forth

From this reading “I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.”

heat noun US /hiːt/

a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature

lift verb US /lɪft/

raise from a lower to a higher position

Osborne noun US /ˈɔːzbɔːrn/

English playwright (1929-1994)

From this reading “"I want to speak to you about papa, Mr. Osborne," I said.”

papa noun US /ˈpɑːpʌ/

an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk

From this reading “"I want to speak to you about papa, Mr. Osborne," I said.”

saucy adjective US /ˈsɔːsi/

characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality

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.

burning heat noun + noun

In this reading “I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.”

for the moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

looked up verb + adjective counted as “look up”

seek information from

In this reading “I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.”

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 I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "I want to speak to you about papa, Mr. Osborne," I said.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

bitteradjectiveUS /ˈbɪtər/

marked by strong resentment or cynicism

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

castverbUS /kæst/

put or send forth

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading What had I to do with such thoughts!

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

gravenounUS /ɡreɪv/

death of a person

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading What had I to do with such thoughts!

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

heatnounUS /hiːt/

a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "Will _you_ tell me?--you must know.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

liftverbUS /lɪft/

raise from a lower to a higher position

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading "I want to speak to you about papa, Mr. Osborne," I said.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "Will _you_ tell me?--you must know.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

OsbornenounUS /ˈɔːzbɔːrn/

English playwright (1929-1994)

From this reading "I want to speak to you about papa, Mr. Osborne," I said.

papanounUS /ˈpɑːpʌ/

an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk

From this reading "I want to speak to you about papa, Mr. Osborne," I said.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I want to speak to you about papa, Mr. Osborne," I said.

saucyadjectiveUS /ˈsɔːsi/

characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

self-indignation

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

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

smiledverbUS /smaɪld/

past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

speakverbUS /spiːk/

express in speech

From this reading "I want to speak to you about papa, Mr. Osborne," I said.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading What had I to do with such thoughts!

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading "Will _you_ tell me?--you must know.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading I cast them from me with bitter self-indignation, and looked up at him at last with a face so grave that he smiled on me no more.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading "I want to speak to you about papa, Mr. Osborne," I said.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What had I to do with such thoughts!

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading I was very sorry, but I could not help the burning heat which came to my face; and I could not lift my eyes for the moment to meet his saucy eyes which seemed to read my thoughts.

Willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "Will _you_ tell me?--you must know.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading What had I to do with such thoughts!

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I want to speak to you about papa, Mr. Osborne," I said.

Chapter 4 of The Days of My Life: An Autobiography by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant holds 812 sentences, grouped into 163 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 The Days of My Life: An Autobiography contain?

Chapter 4 holds 812 sentences of The Days of My Life: An Autobiography, unabridged, divided into 163 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Days of My Life: An Autobiography by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 812 sentences, grouped into 163 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.

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Work through the 163 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

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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.

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Chapter IV

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