Chapter 5 of Victorian Short Stories is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Victorian Short Stories is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
'That was very sad.' 'A dashing of the cup from the lip, sir. My daughter would have been a countess. Well, young gentleman, about this estate of yours. I think I see a way--I think, I am not yet sure--that I do see a way.
Chapter 5 of Victorian Short Stories is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
female equivalent of a count or earl
From this reading “My daughter would have been a countess.”
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading “'A dashing of the cup from the lip, sir.”
lively and spirited
From this reading “'A dashing of the cup from the lip, sir.”
everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities
From this reading “Well, young gentleman, about this estate of yours.”
a man of refinement
From this reading “Well, young gentleman, about this estate of yours.”
either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading “'A dashing of the cup from the lip, sir.”
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading “'That was very sad.'”
the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to
From this reading “Well, young gentleman, about this estate of yours.”
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 'A dashing of the cup from the lip, sir.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Well, young gentleman, about this estate of yours.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I think I see a way--I think, I am not yet sure--that I do see a way.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading My daughter would have been a countess.
female equivalent of a count or earl
From this reading My daughter would have been a countess.
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading 'A dashing of the cup from the lip, sir.
lively and spirited
From this reading 'A dashing of the cup from the lip, sir.
a female human offspring
From this reading My daughter would have been a countess.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I think I see a way--I think, I am not yet sure--that I do see a way.
everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities
From this reading Well, young gentleman, about this estate of yours.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading 'A dashing of the cup from the lip, sir.
a man of refinement
From this reading Well, young gentleman, about this estate of yours.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading My daughter would have been a countess.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I think I see a way--I think, I am not yet sure--that I do see a way.
either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading 'A dashing of the cup from the lip, sir.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My daughter would have been a countess.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I think I see a way--I think, I am not yet sure--that I do see a way.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading 'A dashing of the cup from the lip, sir.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading 'That was very sad.'
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I think I see a way--I think, I am not yet sure--that I do see a way.
term of address for a man
From this reading 'A dashing of the cup from the lip, sir.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading I think I see a way--I think, I am not yet sure--that I do see a way.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading 'That was very sad.'
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading 'A dashing of the cup from the lip, sir.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I think I see a way--I think, I am not yet sure--that I do see a way.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Well, young gentleman, about this estate of yours.
precisely as stated
From this reading 'That was very sad.'
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading 'That was very sad.'
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading I think I see a way--I think, I am not yet sure--that I do see a way.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Well, young gentleman, about this estate of yours.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading My daughter would have been a countess.
but in spite of that
From this reading I think I see a way--I think, I am not yet sure--that I do see a way.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Well, young gentleman, about this estate of yours.
the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to
From this reading Well, young gentleman, about this estate of yours.
Chapter 5 of Victorian Short Stories by Elizabeth Cleghorn [Contributor] Gaskell holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 5 holds 403 sentences of Victorian Short Stories, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Victorian Short Stories by Elizabeth Cleghorn [Contributor] Gaskell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 5 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 Victorian Short Stories by Elizabeth Cleghorn [Contributor] Gaskell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2026 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15252 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #15252, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 168 minutes of reading across 406 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Victorian Short Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Victorian Short Stories 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 Victorian Short Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
