Chapter 6 of The Trembling of a Leaf is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of The Trembling of a Leaf is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I meant, how come you to settle down right here?" "I am a sentimentalist." "Oh!" Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes. Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.
Chapter 6 of The Trembling of a Leaf is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading “Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.”
before any deductions
From this reading “Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.”
characterized by often poignant difference or incongruity between what is expected and what actually is
From this reading “Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.”
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading “Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.”
settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground
From this reading “"I meant, how come you to settle down right here?"”
a student who fails to attend classes
From this reading “Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.”
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading “Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.”
a sudden desire
From this reading “Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.”
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.
settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground
In this reading “"I meant, how come you to settle down right here?"”
In this reading “Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.”
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.”
In this reading “Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.”
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 am a sentimentalist."
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am a sentimentalist."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
for the reason that
From this reading Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "I meant, how come you to settle down right here?"
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "I meant, how come you to settle down right here?"
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.
before any deductions
From this reading Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "I meant, how come you to settle down right here?"
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I meant, how come you to settle down right here?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I meant, how come you to settle down right here?"
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
characterized by often poignant difference or incongruity between what is expected and what actually is
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
and nothing more
From this reading Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "I meant, how come you to settle down right here?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh!"
by chance
From this reading Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "I meant, how come you to settle down right here?"
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.
someone who indulges in excessive sentimentality
From this reading "I am a sentimentalist."
settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground
From this reading "I meant, how come you to settle down right here?"
a student who fails to attend classes
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I meant, how come you to settle down right here?"
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
a sudden desire
From this reading Perhaps just because the skipper was so gross and dull a man the whim seized him to talk further.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Neilson knew that the skipper had not an idea what he meant, and he looked at him with an ironical twinkle in his dark eyes.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I meant, how come you to settle down right here?"
Chapter 6 of The Trembling of a Leaf by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 6 holds 418 sentences of The Trembling of a Leaf, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of The Trembling of a Leaf by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 6 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 Trembling of a Leaf by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5384 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26854 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26854, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 448 minutes of reading across 1077 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Trembling of a Leaf section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Trembling of a Leaf 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 Trembling of a Leaf, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
