Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Double Four
The Double Four

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Double Four is here in full — 337 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Double Four
Context Illustration Reading 1/67 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."
The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.
It was a very pleasant and very peaceful prospect.
There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.
Beyond, the tennis court, the flower gardens, and to the left the walled fruit garden.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Double Four

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Double Four is here in full — 337 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/67 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."
Line 2
The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.
Line 3
It was a very pleasant and very peaceful prospect.
/ɪt wɑːz ə ˈveri ˈplezənt ənd ˈveri ˈpiːsfəl ˈprɑːspekt/
Line 4
There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.
/ðer wɑːz hɪz kroʊˈkeɪ lɔːn ˌsmuːθˈʃeɪvən ðə huːps ˈniːtli ərˈeɪndʒd ðə tʃɔːk mɑːrk fɜːrm ənd dɪˈstɪŋkt əˈpɑːn ðə ˈbaʊn.də.ri/
Line 5
Beyond, the tennis court, the flower gardens, and to the left the walled fruit garden.
/bɪˈɑːnd ðə ˈtenəs kɔːrt ðə ˈflaʊər ˈɡɑːrdənz ənd tuː ðə left ðə wɔːld fruːt ˈɡɑːrdən/

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.

boundary noun US /ˈbaʊn.də.ri/

A line that marks the limits of an area.

From this reading “There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.”

chalk noun US /tʃɔːk/

A soft white limestone used for marking doors, stone walls, and slate.

From this reading “There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.”

croquet verb US /kroʊˈkeɪ/

drive away by hitting with one's ball

From this reading “There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.”

hoops noun US /huːps/

a game played on a court by two opposing teams of 5 players; points are scored by throwing the ball through an elevated horizontal hoop

From this reading “There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.”

neatly adverb US /ˈniːtli/

with neatness

From this reading “There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.”

smooth-shaven adjective US /ˌsmuːθˈʃeɪvən/

closely shaved recently

From this reading “There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.”

tennis noun US /ˈtenəs/

a game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court

From this reading “Beyond, the tennis court, the flower gardens, and to the left the walled fruit garden.”

walled verb US /wɔːld/

past form of “wall” — surround with a wall in order to fortify

From this reading “Beyond, the tennis court, the flower gardens, and to the left the walled fruit garden.”

All words in this reading · 70

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 It was a very pleasant and very peaceful prospect.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

arrangedadjectiveUS /ərˈeɪndʒd/

disposed or placed in a particular kind of order

From this reading There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

BeyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading Beyond, the tennis court, the flower gardens, and to the left the walled fruit garden.

boundarynounUS /ˈbaʊn.də.ri/

A line that marks the limits of an area.

From this reading There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.

chalknounUS /tʃɔːk/

A soft white limestone used for marking doors, stone walls, and slate.

From this reading There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.

circlenounUS /ˈsɜːrkəl/

ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

courtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading Beyond, the tennis court, the flower gardens, and to the left the walled fruit garden.

croquetverbUS /kroʊˈkeɪ/

drive away by hitting with one's ball

From this reading There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.

desirenounUS /dɪˈzaɪər/

the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

distinctadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɪŋkt/

(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality

From this reading There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

firmadjectiveUS /fɜːrm/

marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

From this reading There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.

flowernounUS /ˈflaʊər/

a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading Beyond, the tennis court, the flower gardens, and to the left the walled fruit garden.

FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/

the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

fruitnounUS /fruːt/

the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant

From this reading Beyond, the tennis court, the flower gardens, and to the left the walled fruit garden.

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading Beyond, the tennis court, the flower gardens, and to the left the walled fruit garden.

gardensnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdənz/

plural of “garden” — a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading Beyond, the tennis court, the flower gardens, and to the left the walled fruit garden.

gazedverbUS /ɡeɪzd/

past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

hoopsnounUS /huːps/

a game played on a court by two opposing teams of 5 players; points are scored by throwing the ball through an elevated horizontal hoop

From this reading There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

joinverbUS /dʒɔɪn/

become part of; become a member of a group or organization

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

lawnnounUS /lɔːn/

a field of cultivated and mowed grass

From this reading There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.

leftnounUS /left/

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 Beyond, the tennis court, the flower gardens, and to the left the walled fruit garden.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

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

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

MadamenounUS /ˈmædəm/

title used for a married Frenchwoman

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

markverbUS /mɑːrk/

attach a tag or label to

From this reading There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.

neatlyadverbUS /ˈniːtli/

with neatness

From this reading There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

notepapernoun

writing paper intended for writing short notes or letters

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

peacefuladjectiveUS /ˈpiːsfəl/

not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war

From this reading It was a very pleasant and very peaceful prospect.

pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading It was a very pleasant and very peaceful prospect.

prospectnounUS /ˈprɑːspekt/

the possibility of future success

From this reading It was a very pleasant and very peaceful prospect.

sheetnounUS /ʃiːt/

any broad thin expanse or surface

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

smooth-shavenadjectiveUS /ˌsmuːθˈʃeɪvən/

closely shaved recently

From this reading There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.

SOGRANGE

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

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

tennisnounUS /ˈtenəs/

a game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court

From this reading Beyond, the tennis court, the flower gardens, and to the left the walled fruit garden.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

ThursdaynounUS /ˈθɜːrzdeɪ/

the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Beyond, the tennis court, the flower gardens, and to the left the walled fruit garden.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading There was his croquet lawn, smooth-shaven, the hoops neatly arranged, the chalk mark firm and distinct upon the boundary.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading It was a very pleasant and very peaceful prospect.

walledverbUS /wɔːld/

past form of “wall” — surround with a wall in order to fortify

From this reading Beyond, the tennis court, the flower gardens, and to the left the walled fruit garden.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading The man looked up from the sheet of notepaper which he held in his hand, and gazed through the open French windows before which he was standing.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "_It is the desire of Madame that you should join our circle here on Thursday evening next, at ten o'clock._--SOGRANGE."

Chapter 1 of The Double Four by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim holds 337 sentences, grouped into 68 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 1 of The Double Four contain?

Chapter 1 holds 337 sentences of The Double Four, unabridged, divided into 68 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Double Four by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 337 sentences, grouped into 68 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.

How do I study chapter 1 of The Double Four?

Work through the 68 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 68 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.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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.

Questions about reading The Double Four

Common questions about reading The Double Four by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Double Four?

Yes. All 5145 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28091 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Double Four is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28091, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Double Four take to read?

About 428 minutes of reading across 1029 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Double Four section by section

How to work through The Double Four section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Double Four to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Double Four

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Double Four, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Desire
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Double Four; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Madame
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Double Four; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Circle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Double Four; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thursday
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Double Four; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.