Chapter 6 of The Ivory Tower is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of The Ivory Tower is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Horton again hung about a little. "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?" "Afraid? _Am_ I afraid?" Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.
Chapter 6 of The Ivory Tower is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
-ing form of “ascertain” — establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study
From this reading “"Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"”
aimless wandering from place to place
From this reading “Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.”
to certain extent or degree
From this reading “Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.”
having or manifesting hope
From this reading “Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.”
look furtively
From this reading “"Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"”
comparative of “rich” — possessing material wealth
From this reading “Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.”
relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
From this reading “Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.”
third-person singular of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading “"Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"”
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 “"Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"”
In this reading “"Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"”
In this reading “Horton again hung about 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 Horton again hung about a little.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Horton again hung about a little.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
anew
From this reading Horton again hung about a little.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading _Am_ I afraid?"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
-ing form of “ascertain” — establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
aimless wandering from place to place
From this reading Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.
divisible by two
From this reading Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
having or manifesting hope
From this reading Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Horton again hung about a little.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading Horton again hung about a little.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading _Am_ I afraid?"
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Horton again hung about a little.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
look furtively
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
comparative of “rich” — possessing material wealth
From this reading Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.
relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
From this reading Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
From this reading Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Gray fairly spoke with a shade of the hopeful, as if even that would be richer somehow than drifting.
third-person singular of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Why should you be so afraid of ascertaining his idea that you don't so much as peep into what he writes on the subject?"
Chapter 6 of The Ivory Tower by Henry James holds 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 416 sentences of The Ivory Tower, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of The Ivory Tower by Henry James exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 Ivory Tower by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2764 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62979 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #62979, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 230 minutes of reading across 553 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Ivory Tower section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of The Ivory Tower 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 Ivory Tower, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
