Chapter 4 of The Spoils of Poynton is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Spoils of Poynton is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"He seemed very sad. He takes it very hard," Fleda added. "And how does _she_ take it?" "Ah, that--that I felt a delicacy about asking." "So you didn't ask?"
Chapter 4 of The Spoils of Poynton is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
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 “He takes it very hard," Fleda added.”
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “"So you didn't ask?"”
the verbal act of requesting
From this reading “"Ah, that--that I felt a delicacy about asking."”
the quality of being beautiful and delicate in appearance
From this reading “"Ah, that--that I felt a delicacy about asking."”
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading “"Ah, that--that I felt a delicacy about asking."”
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading “He takes it very hard," Fleda added.”
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading “"He seemed very sad.”
plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
From this reading “He takes it very hard," Fleda added.”
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.
In this reading “"He seemed very sad.”
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 "Ah, that--that I felt a delicacy about asking."
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "Ah, that--that I felt a delicacy about asking."
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 He takes it very hard," Fleda added.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ah, that--that I felt a delicacy about asking."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And how does _she_ take it?"
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "So you didn't ask?"
the verbal act of requesting
From this reading "Ah, that--that I felt a delicacy about asking."
the quality of being beautiful and delicate in appearance
From this reading "Ah, that--that I felt a delicacy about asking."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "So you didn't ask?"
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "And how does _she_ take it?"
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading "Ah, that--that I felt a delicacy about asking."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He takes it very hard," Fleda added.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading He takes it very hard," Fleda added.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "He seemed very sad.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "And how does _she_ take it?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Ah, that--that I felt a delicacy about asking."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He takes it very hard," Fleda added.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading "He seemed very sad.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "He seemed very sad.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "And how does _she_ take it?"
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "So you didn't ask?"
carry out
From this reading "And how does _she_ take it?"
plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
From this reading He takes it very hard," Fleda added.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Ah, that--that I felt a delicacy about asking."
precisely as stated
From this reading "He seemed very sad.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "So you didn't ask?"
Chapter 4 of The Spoils of Poynton by Henry James holds 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 4 holds 421 sentences of The Spoils of Poynton, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Spoils of Poynton by Henry James exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Spoils of Poynton by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3817 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33325 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33325, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 318 minutes of reading across 764 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Spoils of Poynton section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Spoils of Poynton 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 Spoils of Poynton, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
