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The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete
The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete is here in full — 83 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/16 · 5 lines
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In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.
The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.
Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbeythe ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.
It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.
Rumour for the nonce had a stronger spice of truth than usual.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete is here in full — 83 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.
Line 2
The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.
Line 3
Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbeythe ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.
Line 4
It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.
Line 5
Rumour for the nonce had a stronger spice of truth than usual.
/ˈruːmər fɔːr ðə nɑːns hæd ə ˈstrɔːŋər spaɪs ʌv truːθ ðæn ˈjuːʒəwəl/

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.

appease verb US /əˈpiːz/

cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of

From this reading “It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.”

arson noun US /ˈɑːrsən/

malicious burning to destroy property

From this reading “Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.”

authentic adjective US /əˈθentɪk/

conforming to fact and therefore worthy of belief

From this reading “Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.”

counterbalanced adjective US /ˌkaʊntərˈbælənst/

brought into equipoise by means of a weight or force that offsets another

From this reading “Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.”

nonce noun US /nɑːns/

the present occasion

From this reading “Rumour for the nonce had a stronger spice of truth than usual.”

roasted adjective US /ˈroʊstəd/

(meat) cooked by dry heat in an oven

From this reading “The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.”

scar noun US /skɑːr/

a mark left (usually on the skin) by the healing of injured tissue

From this reading “Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.”

spice noun US /spaɪs/

aromatic substances of vegetable origin used as a preservative

From this reading “Rumour for the nonce had a stronger spice of truth than usual.”

All words in this reading · 118

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 Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

AbbeynounUS /ˈæbi/

a church associated with a monastery or convent

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

addedverbUS /ˈædəd/

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/

possessing life

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

appeaseverbUS /əˈpiːz/

cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

arrivalnounUS /ərˈaɪvəl/

accomplishment of an objective

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

arsonnounUS /ˈɑːrsən/

malicious burning to destroy property

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

attemptnounUS /əˈtempt/

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

AustinnounUS /ˈɔːstən/

state capital of Texas on the Colorado River; site of the University of Texas

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

authenticadjectiveUS /əˈθentɪk/

conforming to fact and therefore worthy of belief

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

awaitingverbUS /əˈweɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

beholdverbUS /bɪˈhoʊld/

see with attention

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

Belthorpe

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

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

Blaize

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

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

bloodyadjectiveUS /ˈblʌdi/

having or covered with or accompanied by blood

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

breastnounUS /brest/

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

cattlenounUS /ˈkætəl/

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

Clare

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

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

consentnounUS /kənˈsent/

permission to do something

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

counterbalancedadjectiveUS /ˌkaʊntərˈbælənst/

brought into equipoise by means of a weight or force that offsets another

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

creaturenounUS /ˈkriːtʃər/

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

decentadjectiveUS /ˈdiːsənt/

socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

desperateadjectiveUS /ˈdesprɪt/

arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

doctorsnounUS /ˈdɑːktərz/

plural of “doctor” — a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

dressedadjectiveUS /drest/

dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

entireadjectiveUS /ɪnˈtaɪər/

constituting the full quantity or extent; complete

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

FarmverbUS /fɑːrm/

be a farmer; work as a farmer

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

FarmernounUS /ˈfɑːrmər/

a person who operates a farm

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

feloniously

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

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

flamesnounUS /fleɪmz/

plural of “flame” — the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

foreheadnounUS /ˈfɔːrhed/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

frightenedadjectiveUS /ˈfraɪtənd/

made afraid

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

frightfuladjectiveUS /ˈfraɪtfəl/

provoking horror

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

ghostnounUS /ɡoʊst/

a mental representation of some haunting experience

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

gossipnounUS /ˈɡɑːsəp/

light informal conversation for social occasions

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

handkerchiefnounUS /ˈhæŋkərtʃɪf/

a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose or as a costume accessory

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

hauntedadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːntɪd/

having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

how

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

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

interchanged

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

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

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 Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

Lobourne

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

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

mourningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

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

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

noncenounUS /nɑːns/

the present occasion

From this reading Rumour for the nonce had a stronger spice of truth than usual.

numbersnounUS /ˈnʌmbərz/

the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

perishedverbUS /ˈperɪʃt/

past form of “perish” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

PickverbUS /pɪk/

select carefully from a group

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

promisedverbUS /ˈprɑːməst/

past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

pullverbUS /pʊl/

cause to move by pulling

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

Raynham

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

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

rescueverbUS /ˈreskjuː/

free from harm or evil

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

roastedadjectiveUS /ˈroʊstəd/

(meat) cooked by dry heat in an oven

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

RumournounUS /ˈruːmər/

gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth

From this reading Rumour for the nonce had a stronger spice of truth than usual.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

scarnounUS /skɑːr/

a mark left (usually on the skin) by the healing of injured tissue

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

servantsnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənts/

plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

spicenounUS /spaɪs/

aromatic substances of vegetable origin used as a preservative

From this reading Rumour for the nonce had a stronger spice of truth than usual.

stablesnounUS /ˈsteɪbəlz/

plural of “stable” — a farm building for housing horses or other livestock

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

strongeradjectiveUS /ˈstrɔːŋər/

comparative of “strong” — having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading Rumour for the nonce had a stronger spice of truth than usual.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Rumour for the nonce had a stronger spice of truth than usual.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

threatenedadjectiveUS /ˈθretənd/

(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered

From this reading It was added that the servants had all threatened to leave in a body, and that Sir Austin to appease them had promised to pull down the entire left wing, like a gentleman; for no decent creature, said Lobourne, could consent to live in a haunted house.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading Rumour for the nonce had a stronger spice of truth than usual.

usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading Rumour for the nonce had a stronger spice of truth than usual.

villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading In the morning that followed this night, great gossip was interchanged between Raynham and Lobourne.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The village told how Farmer Blaize, of Belthorpe Farm, had his Pick feloniously set fire to; his stables had caught fire, himself had been all but roasted alive in the attempt to rescue his cattle, of which numbers had perished in the flames.

wingnounUS /wɪŋ/

a movable organ for flying (one of a pair)

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

witsnounUS /wɪts/

the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading Raynham counterbalanced arson with an authentic ghost seen by Miss Clare in the left wing of the Abbey—the ghost of a lady, dressed in deep mourning, a scar on her forehead and a bloody handkerchief at her breast, frightful to behold! and no wonder the child was frightened out of her wits, and lay in a desperate state awaiting the arrival of the London doctors.

Chapter 4 of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete by George Meredith holds 83 sentences, grouped into 17 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete contain?

Chapter 4 holds 83 sentences of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete by George Meredith exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 83 sentences, grouped into 17 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 Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete?

Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 17 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.

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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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Project Gutenberg eBook #4412, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 2368 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

October
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shone
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Royally
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Richard
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.