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The Touchstone
The Touchstone

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Touchstone is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Touchstone
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.
The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.
The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.
Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.
He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.
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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 Touchstone

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Touchstone is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.
Line 2
The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.
Line 3
The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.
Line 4
Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.
Line 5
He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

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.

Cleverness noun US /ˈklev.ər.nəs/

The quality of being intelligent, quick to understand, and resourceful in danger.

From this reading “Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.”

Same adjective US /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading “He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.”

All words in this reading · 110

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.

a

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

an

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

and

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

any

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

apathy

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

as

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

atoms

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

attitude

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

been

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

bred

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

business

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

but

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

by

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

cascades

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

chief

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

cigarette-smoke

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

civilized

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

ClevernessnounUS /ˈklev.ər.nəs/

The quality of being intelligent, quick to understand, and resourceful in danger.

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

collective

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

composed

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

deck-chairs

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

distaste

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

dress-clothes

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

drive

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

duck

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

earlier

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

emancipation

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

episode

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

few

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

filled

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

Flamel

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

Flamel's

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

flannel

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

flitting

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

following

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

for

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

formed

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

found

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

friends

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

from

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

futile

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

Glennard

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

goes

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

had

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

have

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

He

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

heterogeneous

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

him

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

his

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

implied

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

in

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

inconsequences

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

intimacy

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

intimate

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

into

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

it

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

kind

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

life

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

liked

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

little

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

men

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

might

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

mill

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

mist

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

more

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

of

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

one

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

outstretched

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

party

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

personal

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

point

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

pools

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

preference

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

reaction

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

runs

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

saliency

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

seemed

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

sham

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

slipping

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

small

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

society

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

stream

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

sultry

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

Sunday

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

than

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

that

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

THE

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

their

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

themselves

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

they

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

through

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

to

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

town

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

uneasy

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

From this reading The reaction from the chief episode of his earlier life had bred in Glennard an uneasy distaste for any kind of personal saliency.

uniformity

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

used

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

useful

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

From this reading Cleverness was useful in business; but in society it seemed to him as futile as the sham cascades formed by a stream that might have been used to drive a mill.

usually

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

VI

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

view

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

was

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

week

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

which

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

From this reading The party was a small one--Flamel had few intimate friends--but composed of more heterogeneous atoms than the little pools into which society usually runs.

white

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

wife's

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

with

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

women

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

yacht

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

From this reading VI THE week in town had been sultry, and the men, in the Sunday emancipation of white flannel and duck, filled the deck-chairs of the yacht with their outstretched apathy, following, through a mist of cigarette-smoke, the flitting inconsequences of the women.

yet

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

From this reading He liked the collective point of view that goes with the civilized uniformity of dress-clothes, and his wife’s attitude implied the same preference; yet they found themselves slipping more and more into Flamel’s intimacy.

Chapter 4 of The Touchstone by Edith Wharton holds 202 sentences, grouped into 41 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 Touchstone contain?

Chapter 4 holds 202 sentences of The Touchstone, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Touchstone by Edith Wharton exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 202 sentences, grouped into 41 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 Touchstone?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 Touchstone

Common questions about reading The Touchstone by Edith Wharton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Touchstone?

Yes. All 1596 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #267 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Touchstone is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #267, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Touchstone take to read?

About 133 minutes of reading across 320 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Touchstone section by section

How to work through The Touchstone section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Touchstone to begin.

  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 Touchstone

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Touchstone, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Professor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Touchstone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Joslin
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Touchstone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Readers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Touchstone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Doubtless
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Touchstone; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.