Chapter 4 of The Tragic Bride is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Tragic Bride is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me." Gabrielle appeared as a rather shadowy figure in his mother's background. "Oh, there's a wife, is there?" he said. "That's rather a pity." She smiled, for this was typical of his attitude towards women.
Chapter 4 of The Tragic Bride is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways
From this reading “She smiled, for this was typical of his attitude towards women.”
a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
From this reading “Gabrielle appeared as a rather shadowy figure in his mother's background.”
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading “Gabrielle appeared as a rather shadowy figure in his mother's background.”
an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept
From this reading “"I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."”
a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others
From this reading “"That's rather a pity."”
filled with shade
From this reading “Gabrielle appeared as a rather shadowy figure in his mother's background.”
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading “She smiled, for this was typical of his attitude towards women.”
exhibiting the qualities or characteristics that identify a group or kind or category
From this reading “She smiled, for this was typical of his attitude towards women.”
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 "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Gabrielle appeared as a rather shadowy figure in his mother's background.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways
From this reading She smiled, for this was typical of his attitude towards women.
a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
From this reading Gabrielle appeared as a rather shadowy figure in his mother's background.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Gabrielle appeared as a rather shadowy figure in his mother's background.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gabrielle appeared as a rather shadowy figure in his mother's background.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Gabrielle appeared as a rather shadowy figure in his mother's background.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Gabrielle appeared as a rather shadowy figure in his mother's background.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Oh, there's a wife, is there?" he said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
engage in
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Gabrielle appeared as a rather shadowy figure in his mother's background.
not any; not one
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She smiled, for this was typical of his attitude towards women.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, there's a wife, is there?" he said.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others
From this reading "That's rather a pity."
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
on the contrary
From this reading Gabrielle appeared as a rather shadowy figure in his mother's background.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
filled with shade
From this reading Gabrielle appeared as a rather shadowy figure in his mother's background.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She smiled, for this was typical of his attitude towards women.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading She smiled, for this was typical of his attitude towards women.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's rather a pity."
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Oh, there's a wife, is there?" he said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Oh, there's a wife, is there?" he said.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading She smiled, for this was typical of his attitude towards women.
in the direction of
From this reading She smiled, for this was typical of his attitude towards women.
exhibiting the qualities or characteristics that identify a group or kind or category
From this reading She smiled, for this was typical of his attitude towards women.
the act of using
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She smiled, for this was typical of his attitude towards women.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading "Oh, there's a wife, is there?" he said.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading She smiled, for this was typical of his attitude towards women.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I hope he isn't quite such a paragon as you make out," he said, "or he'll have no use for me."
Chapter 4 of The Tragic Bride by Francis Brett Young holds 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 412 sentences of The Tragic Bride, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Tragic Bride by Francis Brett Young exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 Tragic Bride by Francis Brett Young on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2796 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25867 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25867, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 233 minutes of reading across 560 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Tragic Bride section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of The Tragic Bride 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 Tragic Bride, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
