Chapter 16 of The soul of a bishop is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of The soul of a bishop is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?” He stood remorseful and distressed. “I should have talked to you,” he said lamely. “Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me? Will you try to eat a little breakfast?
Chapter 16 of The soul of a bishop is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 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.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading “Will you try to eat a little breakfast?”
facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty
From this reading “He stood remorseful and distressed.”
King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)
From this reading ““Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me?”
not accessible to view
From this reading ““Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?””
in a weak and unconvincing manner
From this reading ““I should have talked to you,” he said lamely.”
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading ““Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me?”
past form of “plead” — appeal or request earnestly
From this reading ““Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?””
feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
From this reading “He stood remorseful and distressed.”
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 Will you try to eat a little breakfast?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He stood remorseful and distressed.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading “Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?”
eat an early morning meal
From this reading Will you try to eat a little breakfast?
facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty
From this reading He stood remorseful and distressed.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me?
take in solid food
From this reading Will you try to eat a little breakfast?
King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)
From this reading “Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?”
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading “Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me?
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He stood remorseful and distressed.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me?
not accessible to view
From this reading “Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I should have talked to you,” he said lamely.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?”
in a weak and unconvincing manner
From this reading “I should have talked to you,” he said lamely.
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading “Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me?
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Will you try to eat a little breakfast?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me?
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me?
past form of “plead” — appeal or request earnestly
From this reading “Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?”
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading “Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?”
feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
From this reading He stood remorseful and distressed.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I should have talked to you,” he said lamely.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?”
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?”
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading “Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me?
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading He stood remorseful and distressed.
past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading “I should have talked to you,” he said lamely.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?”
a special situation
From this reading “Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me?
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading “Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I should have talked to you,” he said lamely.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading Will you try to eat a little breakfast?
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?”
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “Edward,” she said, laying her hands on his shoulders, “will you do one thing for me?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Is there any reason,” she pleaded, “why you should have hidden things from me?”
Chapter 16 of The soul of a bishop by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells holds 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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.
Chapter 16 holds 199 sentences of The soul of a bishop, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of The soul of a bishop by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 199 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 16 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading The soul of a bishop by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5173 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1269 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1269, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 431 minutes of reading across 1035 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The soul of a bishop section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of The soul of a bishop 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 soul of a bishop, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
