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The Triflers
The Triflers

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Triflers is here in full — 242 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Frederick Orin Bartlett • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Triflers
Context Illustration Reading 1/48 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.
"Hello, Hamilton," said Covington.
Hamilton sprang to his feet--a shaking, ghastly remnant of a man.
He had grown thinner and paler than when Covington last saw him.
But his eyes--they held Covington for a moment.
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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 Triflers

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Triflers is here in full — 242 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/48 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.
/ˈpɪstəlz ˈevədəntli jʌŋ ˈhæməltən dɪd nɑːt hiːr ˈmɑːnti kʌm daʊn ðə sterz fɔːr hiː wɑːz ˈsɪtɪŋ ɪn ə tʃer nɪr ðə ˈwɪndoʊ wɪð hɪz hed ɪn hɪz hændz ənd dɪd nɑːt muːv ˈiːvɪn wen ˈmɑːnti ˈentərd ðə ruːm/
Line 2
"Hello, Hamilton," said Covington.
Line 3
Hamilton sprang to his feet--a shaking, ghastly remnant of a man.
Line 4
He had grown thinner and paler than when Covington last saw him.
Line 5
But his eyes--they held Covington for a moment.

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.

ghastly adjective US /ˈɡæstli/

shockingly repellent; inspiring horror

From this reading “Hamilton sprang to his feet--a shaking, ghastly remnant of a man.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Hamilton noun US /ˈhæməltən/

Irish mathematician (1806-1865)

From this reading “PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Hello noun US /həˈloʊ/

an expression of greeting

From this reading “"Hello, Hamilton," said Covington.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Monte noun US /ˈmɑːnti/

a gambling card game of Spanish origin; 3 or 4 cards are dealt face up and players bet that one of them will be matched before the others as the cards are dealt from the pack one at a time

From this reading “PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pistols noun US /ˈpɪstəlz/

plural of “pistol” — a firearm that is held and fired with one hand

From this reading “PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
remnant noun US /ˈremnənt/

a small part or portion that remains after the main part no longer exists

From this reading “Hamilton sprang to his feet--a shaking, ghastly remnant of a man.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shaking noun US /ˈʃeɪkɪŋ/

the act of causing something to move up and down (or back and forth) with quick movements

From this reading “Hamilton sprang to his feet--a shaking, ghastly remnant of a man.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thinner noun US /ˈθɪnər/

a diluting agent

From this reading “He had grown thinner and paler than when Covington last saw him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 55

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But his eyes--they held Covington for a moment.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Covington

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

From this reading "Hello, Hamilton," said Covington.

Pending verification
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EvidentlyadverbUS /ˈevədəntli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading But his eyes--they held Covington for a moment.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading Hamilton sprang to his feet--a shaking, ghastly remnant of a man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ghastlyadjectiveUS /ˈɡæstli/

shockingly repellent; inspiring horror

From this reading Hamilton sprang to his feet--a shaking, ghastly remnant of a man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
grownadjectiveUS /ɡroʊn/

(of animals) fully developed

From this reading He had grown thinner and paler than when Covington last saw him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading He had grown thinner and paler than when Covington last saw him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HamiltonnounUS /ˈhæməltən/

Irish mathematician (1806-1865)

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading But his eyes--they held Covington for a moment.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HellonounUS /həˈloʊ/

an expression of greeting

From this reading "Hello, Hamilton," said Covington.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He had grown thinner and paler than when Covington last saw him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading He had grown thinner and paler than when Covington last saw him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Hamilton sprang to his feet--a shaking, ghastly remnant of a man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading But his eyes--they held Covington for a moment.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MontenounUS /ˈmɑːnti/

a gambling card game of Spanish origin; 3 or 4 cards are dealt face up and players bet that one of them will be matched before the others as the cards are dealt from the pack one at a time

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moveverbUS /muːv/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Hamilton sprang to his feet--a shaking, ghastly remnant of a man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
paler

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

From this reading He had grown thinner and paler than when Covington last saw him.

Pending verification
PISTOLSnounUS /ˈpɪstəlz/

plural of “pistol” — a firearm that is held and fired with one hand

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
remnantnounUS /ˈremnənt/

a small part or portion that remains after the main part no longer exists

From this reading Hamilton sprang to his feet--a shaking, ghastly remnant of a man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Hello, Hamilton," said Covington.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading He had grown thinner and paler than when Covington last saw him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shakingnounUS /ˈʃeɪkɪŋ/

the act of causing something to move up and down (or back and forth) with quick movements

From this reading Hamilton sprang to his feet--a shaking, ghastly remnant of a man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sprangverbUS /spræŋ/

inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading Hamilton sprang to his feet--a shaking, ghastly remnant of a man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stairsnounUS /sterz/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading He had grown thinner and paler than when Covington last saw him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading But his eyes--they held Covington for a moment.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thinnernounUS /ˈθɪnər/

a diluting agent

From this reading He had grown thinner and paler than when Covington last saw him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Hamilton sprang to his feet--a shaking, ghastly remnant of a man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading PISTOLS Evidently young Hamilton did not hear Monte come down the stairs, for he was sitting in a chair near the window, with his head in his hands, and did not move even when Monte entered the room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 4 of The Triflers by Frederick Orin Bartlett holds 242 sentences, grouped into 49 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.

What does chapter 4 of The Triflers contain?

Chapter 4 holds 242 sentences of The Triflers, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Triflers by Frederick Orin Bartlett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 242 sentences, grouped into 49 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 Triflers?

Work through the 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 49 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 Triflers

Common questions about reading The Triflers by Frederick Orin Bartlett on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Triflers?

Yes. All 5919 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20458 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Triflers is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #20458, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Triflers take to read?

About 493 minutes of reading across 1184 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Triflers section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Triflers

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

Surprised
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Triflers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stopped
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Triflers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mildly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Triflers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Interested
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Triflers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.