Chapter 4 of Three Margarets is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Three Margarets is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CONFIDENCE. "What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door. "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude? You see me fading away, positively a shadow, in this hideous solitude!" Margaret looked up cheerfully from her work.
Chapter 4 of Three Margarets is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
formal attendance (in court or at a hearing) of a party in an action
From this reading “"What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door.”
in a cheerful manner
From this reading “"How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?”
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading “CONFIDENCE.”
bad; unfortunate
From this reading “"How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?”
weakening in force or intensity
From this reading “You see me fading away, positively a shadow, in this hideous solitude!"”
grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror
From this reading “You see me fading away, positively a shadow, in this hideous solitude!"”
extremely
From this reading “You see me fading away, positively a shadow, in this hideous solitude!"”
a state of social isolation
From this reading “"How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?”
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 You see me fading away, positively a shadow, in this hideous solitude!"
formal attendance (in court or at a hearing) of a party in an action
From this reading "What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading You see me fading away, positively a shadow, in this hideous solitude!"
in a cheerful manner
From this reading "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door.
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading CONFIDENCE.
bad; unfortunate
From this reading "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading "What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading "What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door.
weakening in force or intensity
From this reading You see me fading away, positively a shadow, in this hideous solitude!"
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Margaret looked up cheerfully from her work.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Margaret looked up cheerfully from her work.
grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror
From this reading You see me fading away, positively a shadow, in this hideous solitude!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Margaret looked up cheerfully from her work.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Margaret looked up cheerfully from her work.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading You see me fading away, positively a shadow, in this hideous solitude!"
go across or through
From this reading "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?
extremely
From this reading You see me fading away, positively a shadow, in this hideous solitude!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading You see me fading away, positively a shadow, in this hideous solitude!"
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading You see me fading away, positively a shadow, in this hideous solitude!"
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?
a state of social isolation
From this reading "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?
happening unexpectedly
From this reading "What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Margaret looked up cheerfully from her work.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Margaret looked up cheerfully from her work.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What are you doing, _tres chere_?" asked Rita, suddenly appearing at Margaret's door.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "How is it you pass your time so cheerfully? how to live, in this deplorable solitude?
Chapter 4 of Three Margarets by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards holds 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 203 sentences of Three Margarets, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Three Margarets by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 203 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.
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.
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 Three Margarets by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2639 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22293 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22293, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 219 minutes of reading across 528 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Three Margarets section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Three Margarets 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 Three Margarets, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
