The Last of the Mortimers

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Last of the Mortimers is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Cover illustration for The Last of the Mortimers

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

“But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

“Nothing of the sort, godmamma,” said Sara, “such a quantity of time was always taken up with that hair of mine; it had to be brushed out at night, however sleepy I was, and it had to be done I don’t know how many times a day.

Think of wasting hours of one’s time upon one’s hair!”

“But, my dear child, you have too much time on your hands.

Do you ever do anything in the world, you velvet kitten,” said I.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter IV Reading 1/32

The Last of the Mortimers Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Last of the Mortimers is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

“But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I. “Nothing of the sort, godmamma,” said Sara, “such a quantity of time was always taken up with that hair of mine; it had to be brushed out at night, however sleepy I was, and it had to be done I don’t know how many times a day. Think of wasting hours of one’s time upon one’s hair!” “But, my dear child, you have too much time on your hands. Do you ever do anything in the world, you velvet kitten,” said I.

The Last of the Mortimers

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Last of the Mortimers is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

“But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

Line 2

Line 3

Think of wasting hours of one’s time upon one’s hair!”

Line 4

“But, my dear child, you have too much time on your hands.

/bʌt maɪ dɪr tʃaɪld juː hæv tuː mʌtʃ taɪm ɑːn jɔːr hændz/

Line 5

Do you ever do anything in the world, you velvet kitten,” said I.

/duː juː ˈevər duː ˈeniθɪŋ ɪn ðə wɜːrld juː ˈvelvət ˈkɪtən sed aɪ/

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.

brushed adjective US /brʌʃt/

touched lightly in passing; grazed against

From this reading ““Nothing of the sort, godmamma,” said Sara, “such a quantity of time was always taken up with that hair of mine; it had to be brushed out at night, however sleepy I was, and it had to be done I don’t know how many times a day.”

kitten noun US /ˈkɪtən/

young domestic cat

From this reading “Do you ever do anything in the world, you velvet kitten,” said I.”

provoking adjective US /prəˈvoʊkɪŋ/

causing or tending to cause anger or resentment

From this reading ““But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.”

puss noun US /pʊs/

obscene terms for female genitals

From this reading ““But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.”

sleepy adjective US /ˈsliːpi/

ready to fall asleep

thoughtless adjective US /ˈθɔːtləs/

showing lack of careful thought

From this reading ““But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.”

velvet noun US /ˈvelvət/

a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back

From this reading “Do you ever do anything in the world, you velvet kitten,” said I.”

wasting noun US /ˈweɪstɪŋ/

any general reduction in vitality and strength of body and mind resulting from a debilitating chronic disease

From this reading “Think of wasting hours of one’s time upon one’s hair!””

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.

many times adjective + noun

In this reading ““Nothing of the sort, godmamma,” said Sara, “such a quantity of time was always taken up with that hair of mine; it had to be brushed out at night, however sleepy I was, and it had to be done I don’t know how many times a day.”

dear child adjective + noun

In this reading ““But, my dear child, you have too much time on your hands.”

little puss adjective + noun

In this reading ““But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.”

in the world preposition + article + noun counted as “in … world”

In this reading “Do you ever do anything in the world, you velvet kitten,” said I.”

any mistake adjective + noun

In this reading ““But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.”

at night preposition + noun

Think of verb + particle

keep in mind for attention or consideration

In this reading “Think of wasting hours of one’s time upon one’s hair!””

All words in this reading · 73

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 “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading “Nothing of the sort, godmamma,” said Sara, “such a quantity of time was always taken up with that hair of mine; it had to be brushed out at night, however sleepy I was, and it had to be done I don’t know how many times a day.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading Do you ever do anything in the world, you velvet kitten,” said I.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

brushedadjectiveUS /brʌʃt/

touched lightly in passing; grazed against

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

can't

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

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading “But, my dear child, you have too much time on your hands.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading “But, my dear child, you have too much time on your hands.

Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Do you ever do anything in the world, you velvet kitten,” said I.

don't

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

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Do you ever do anything in the world, you velvet kitten,” said I.

foolishadjectiveUS /ˈfuːlɪʃ/

devoid of good sense or judgment

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

godmamma

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

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading “But, my dear child, you have too much time on your hands.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “But, my dear child, you have too much time on your hands.

hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading Think of wasting hours of one’s time upon one’s hair!”

how

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

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Do you ever do anything in the world, you velvet kitten,” said I.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

kittennounUS /ˈkɪtən/

young domestic cat

From this reading Do you ever do anything in the world, you velvet kitten,” said I.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

mistakenounUS /mɪˈsteɪk/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading “But, my dear child, you have too much time on your hands.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “But, my dear child, you have too much time on your hands.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

NothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading “But, my dear child, you have too much time on your hands.

one's

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

From this reading Think of wasting hours of one’s time upon one’s hair!”

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

provokingadjectiveUS /prəˈvoʊkɪŋ/

causing or tending to cause anger or resentment

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

pussnounUS /pʊs/

obscene terms for female genitals

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

quantitynounUS /ˈkwɑːntəti/

how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

Sara

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

sleepyadjectiveUS /ˈsliːpi/

ready to fall asleep

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

ThinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Think of wasting hours of one’s time upon one’s hair!”

thoughtlessadjectiveUS /ˈθɔːtləs/

showing lack of careful thought

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading “But, my dear child, you have too much time on your hands.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Think of wasting hours of one’s time upon one’s hair!”

velvetnounUS /ˈvelvət/

a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back

From this reading Do you ever do anything in the world, you velvet kitten,” said I.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

wastingnounUS /ˈweɪstɪŋ/

any general reduction in vitality and strength of body and mind resulting from a debilitating chronic disease

From this reading Think of wasting hours of one’s time upon one’s hair!”

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Do you ever do anything in the world, you velvet kitten,” said I.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “But you are a very foolish, thoughtless, provoking little puss; there can’t be any mistake about it,” said I.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “But, my dear child, you have too much time on your hands.

Chapter 4 of The Last of the Mortimers by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 Last of the Mortimers contain?

Chapter 4 holds 161 sentences of The Last of the Mortimers, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Last of the Mortimers by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 4 of The Last of the Mortimers?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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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Is this the complete text of The Last of the Mortimers?

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Project Gutenberg eBook #51265, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Last of the Mortimers take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1496 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Last of the Mortimers

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Last of the Mortimers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mortimers: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last of the Mortimers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last of the Mortimers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Voices: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last of the Mortimers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Madonna: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last of the Mortimers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter IV

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