Chapter 7 of The Three Brothers is here in full — 276 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of The Three Brothers is here in full — 276 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PUT TO THE TOUCH. Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast. If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been! And it was all for him. A sudden hush fell upon him as he went in at the sacred door.
Chapter 7 of The Three Brothers is here in full — 276 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/55 · 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.
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading “Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.”
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading “Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.”
move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading “If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!”
having or manifesting hope
From this reading “If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!”
become quiet or still; fall silent
From this reading “A sudden hush fell upon him as he went in at the sacred door.”
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading “Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.”
done under pressure
From this reading “Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.”
concerned with religion or religious purposes
From this reading “A sudden hush fell upon him as he went in at the sacred door.”
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 “Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.”
In this reading “Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.”
In this reading “A sudden hush fell upon him as he went in at the sacred door.”
In this reading “Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.”
In this reading “Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.”
simultaneously
In this reading “Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.”
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 Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
(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 And it was all for him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And it was all for him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A sudden hush fell upon him as he went in at the sacred door.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading A sudden hush fell upon him as he went in at the sacred door.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading A sudden hush fell upon him as he went in at the sacred door.
move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And it was all for him.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And it was all for him.
having or manifesting hope
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
become quiet or still; fall silent
From this reading A sudden hush fell upon him as he went in at the sacred door.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A sudden hush fell upon him as he went in at the sacred door.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
apprehended with certainty
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading PUT TO THE TOUCH.
done under pressure
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
concerned with religion or religious purposes
From this reading A sudden hush fell upon him as he went in at the sacred door.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading A sudden hush fell upon him as he went in at the sacred door.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading PUT TO THE TOUCH.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading PUT TO THE TOUCH.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading PUT TO THE TOUCH.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading A sudden hush fell upon him as he went in at the sacred door.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading A sudden hush fell upon him as he went in at the sacred door.
during the time that
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Ben rushed up the narrow stairs three steps at a time, while Millicent sat listening with her heart beating against her breast.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading If he had known the flutter it was making, how glad, how hopeful, how proud the poor young fool would have been!
Chapter 7 of The Three Brothers by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant holds 276 sentences, grouped into 56 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 7 holds 276 sentences of The Three Brothers, unabridged, divided into 56 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of The Three Brothers by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 276 sentences, grouped into 56 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 56 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 56 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 7 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 Three Brothers by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4154 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58320 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #58320, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 346 minutes of reading across 831 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Three Brothers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Three Brothers 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 Three Brothers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
