Chapter 26 of The Lure of the Mask is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of The Lure of the Mask is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE LETTER Shall I say that I am sorry? No. I am not a hypocrite. Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry. Does it sound cruel and heartless to express my feelings thus frankly? Well, I am human; I do not pose as being better than I am.
Chapter 26 of The Lure of the Mask is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading “Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry.”
(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that
From this reading “Does it sound cruel and heartless to express my feelings thus frankly?”
lacking in feeling or pity or warmth
From this reading “Does it sound cruel and heartless to express my feelings thus frankly?”
provoking horror
From this reading “Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry.”
a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives
From this reading “No. I am not a hypocrite.”
introduce
From this reading “Well, I am human; I do not pose as being better than I am.”
feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about
From this reading “Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry.”
shake, as from cold
From this reading “Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry.”
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 am not a hypocrite.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading THE LETTER Shall I say that I am sorry?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Well, I am human; I do not pose as being better than I am.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Well, I am human; I do not pose as being better than I am.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Well, I am human; I do not pose as being better than I am.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading Does it sound cruel and heartless to express my feelings thus frankly?
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Well, I am human; I do not pose as being better than I am.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Does it sound cruel and heartless to express my feelings thus frankly?
give expression to
From this reading Does it sound cruel and heartless to express my feelings thus frankly?
emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)
From this reading Does it sound cruel and heartless to express my feelings thus frankly?
plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry.
(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that
From this reading Does it sound cruel and heartless to express my feelings thus frankly?
lacking in feeling or pity or warmth
From this reading Does it sound cruel and heartless to express my feelings thus frankly?
provoking horror
From this reading Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry.
characteristic of humanity
From this reading Well, I am human; I do not pose as being better than I am.
a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives
From this reading No. I am not a hypocrite.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading THE LETTER Shall I say that I am sorry?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Does it sound cruel and heartless to express my feelings thus frankly?
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading THE LETTER Shall I say that I am sorry?
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Does it sound cruel and heartless to express my feelings thus frankly?
not any; not one
From this reading No. I am not a hypocrite.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading No. I am not a hypocrite.
introduce
From this reading Well, I am human; I do not pose as being better than I am.
feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about
From this reading Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry.
express in words
From this reading THE LETTER Shall I say that I am sorry?
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading THE LETTER Shall I say that I am sorry?
shake, as from cold
From this reading Death in all forms is horrible, and I shudder and regret, but I am not sorry.
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading THE LETTER Shall I say that I am sorry?
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Does it sound cruel and heartless to express my feelings thus frankly?
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Well, I am human; I do not pose as being better than I am.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE LETTER Shall I say that I am sorry?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE LETTER Shall I say that I am sorry?
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Does it sound cruel and heartless to express my feelings thus frankly?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Does it sound cruel and heartless to express my feelings thus frankly?
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Well, I am human; I do not pose as being better than I am.
Chapter 26 of The Lure of the Mask by Harold MacGrath holds 200 sentences, grouped into 40 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 26 holds 200 sentences of The Lure of the Mask, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of The Lure of the Mask by Harold MacGrath exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 200 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 26 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Lure of the Mask section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Lure of the Mask 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 Lure of the Mask, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
