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The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories
The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.
She had had the horses put in again.
While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.
She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.
She hastily concealed it in her glove.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.
Line 2
She had had the horses put in again.
/ʃiː hæd hæd ðə ˈhɔːrsəz pʊt ɪn əˈɡen/
Line 3
While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.
Line 4
She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.
/ʃiː felt hɪm teɪk hɜːr baɪ ðə hænd lɔːst hɜːr hed ənd faʊnd wen ðə jʌŋ ˈɔːfəsər hæd wɔːkt əˈweɪ ðæt hiː hæd left ə ˈpeɪpər bɪˈtwiːn hɜːr ˈfɪŋɡərz/
Line 5
She hastily concealed it in her glove.
/ʃiː ˈheɪstəli kənˈsiːld ɪt ɪn hɜːr ɡlʌv/

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.

bonnet noun US /ˈbɑːnət/

a hat tied under the chin

From this reading “Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.”

carriage noun US /ˈkærɪdʒ/

a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading “While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.”

concealed adjective US /kənˈsiːld/

not accessible to view

From this reading “She hastily concealed it in her glove.”

Countess noun US /ˈkaʊntəs/

female equivalent of a count or earl

From this reading “Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.”

glove noun US /ɡlʌv/

the handwear used by fielders in playing baseball

From this reading “She hastily concealed it in her glove.”

hastily adverb US /ˈheɪstəli/

in a hurried or hasty manner

From this reading “She hastily concealed it in her glove.”

helping noun US /ˈhelpɪŋ/

an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal

From this reading “While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.”

shawl noun US /ʃɔːl/

cloak consisting of an oblong piece of cloth used to cover the head and shoulders

From this reading “Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.”

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.

young officer adjective + noun

In this reading “While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.”

old lady adjective + noun

your own wife

In this reading “While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.”

into the carriage preposition + article + noun counted as “into … carriage”

In this reading “While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.”

All words in this reading · 55

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 She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading She had had the horses put in again.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

bonnetnounUS /ˈbɑːnət/

a hat tied under the chin

From this reading Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

carriagenounUS /ˈkærɪdʒ/

a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.

concealedadjectiveUS /kənˈsiːld/

not accessible to view

From this reading She hastily concealed it in her glove.

CountessnounUS /ˈkaʊntəs/

female equivalent of a count or earl

From this reading Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

fingersnounUS /ˈfɪŋɡərz/

plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

footmen

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

From this reading While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

glovenounUS /ɡlʌv/

the handwear used by fielders in playing baseball

From this reading She hastily concealed it in her glove.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading She had had the horses put in again.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

hastilyadverbUS /ˈheɪstəli/

in a hurried or hasty manner

From this reading She hastily concealed it in her glove.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

helpingnounUS /ˈhelpɪŋ/

an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal

From this reading While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

horsesnounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/

plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading She had had the horses put in again.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She had had the horses put in again.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading She hastily concealed it in her glove.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.

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 She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

Lisaveta

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

From this reading Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.

officernounUS /ˈɔːfəsər/

any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading She had had the horses put in again.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.

shawlnounUS /ʃɔːl/

cloak consisting of an oblong piece of cloth used to cover the head and shoulders

From this reading Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She had had the horses put in again.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.

walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading She felt him take her by the hand, lost her head, and found, when the young officer had walked away, that he had left a paper between her fingers.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Lisaveta was just taking off her shawl and her bonnet, when the Countess sent for her.

WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading While two footmen were helping the old lady into the carriage, Lisaveta saw the young officer at her side.

Chapter 4 of The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin holds 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 Queen of Spades, and Other Stories contain?

Chapter 4 holds 172 sentences of The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 Queen of Spades, and Other Stories?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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.

Questions about reading The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories

Common questions about reading The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories?

Yes. All 3896 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55024 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55024, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories take to read?

About 324 minutes of reading across 780 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories section by section

How to work through The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Other
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stories
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Alexander
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pushkin
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.