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Cover of For the Defence
Project Gutenberg Library B1C1

For the Defence

For the Defence by Fergus Hume is available here as the complete text, split into 809 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.

Fergus Hume25 chapters

For the Defence by Fergus Hume. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #55420.

25 chaptersComplete chronicle
Five linesIn each reading
US EnglishNarration and vocabulary
Open Chapter I

Academic course · 25 chapters

Course Syllabus

This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.

For the Defence

Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.

0 of 798 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.

  1. Chapter I The Major and His Household 21 readings five lines each Open chapter
  2. Chapter II The Ashantee Devil-Stick 33 readings five lines each Open chapter
  3. Chapter III Dido 28 readings five lines each Open chapter
  4. Chapter IV 31 readings five lines each Open chapter
  5. Chapter V 30 readings five lines each Open chapter
  6. Chapter VI A Strange Occurrence 32 readings five lines each Open chapter
  7. Chapter VII The Rivals 36 readings five lines each Open chapter
  8. Chapter VIII A Cry in the Night 29 readings five lines each Open chapter
  9. Chapter IX After the Deed 32 readings five lines each Open chapter
  10. Chapter X Further Mystery 32 readings five lines each Open chapter
  11. Chapter XI Major Jen, Detective 37 readings five lines each Open chapter
  12. Chapter XII The Strange Perfume 34 readings five lines each Open chapter
  13. Chapter XIII Isabella 28 readings five lines each Open chapter
  14. Chapter XIV Lady Meg 35 readings five lines each Open chapter
  15. Chapter XV Cross-Examination 29 readings five lines each Open chapter
  16. Chapter XVI The Evidence of Jaggard 32 readings five lines each Open chapter
  17. Chapter XVII The Story of the Night 39 readings five lines each Open chapter
  18. Chapter XVIII The Devil-Stick Thief 34 readings five lines each Open chapter
  19. Chapter XIX Further Evidence 36 readings five lines each Open chapter
  20. Chapter XX A Strange Request 35 readings five lines each Open chapter
  21. Chapter XXI A Nine Days' Wonder 30 readings five lines each Open chapter
  22. Chapter XXII For the Defense 31 readings five lines each Open chapter
  23. Chapter XXIII The Result of the Trial 36 readings five lines each Open chapter
  24. Chapter XXIV A Final Surprise 34 readings five lines each Open chapter
  25. Chapter XXV 24 readings five lines each Open chapter

This edition of For the Defence by Fergus Hume carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #55420, divided into 25 chapters and 809 reading sections of 5 sentences each. Every sentence of the source is kept, and each chapter records which sentences cover which part of the story. Any word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

Where can I read For the Defence in full?

The complete text of For the Defence is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #55420 and divided into 809 sections.

This page carries the whole of For the Defence by Fergus Hume, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #55420, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 4041 sentences across 25 chapters. Each chapter stores a record of which sentences cover which part of the work, so nothing is quietly dropped between the source edition and the page you read.

How is For the Defence divided for reading?

For the Defence is presented in 25 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.

Rather than presenting For the Defence as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 809 sections of 5 sentences each. A section is short enough to hold in mind at once, which suits a reader working in a second language or returning to a long work in short sittings. The sections are gathered into 25 chapters.

Can I hear For the Defence read aloud?

Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of For the Defence can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.

Every sentence of For the Defence can be played aloud, and so can any single word within it. Tapping a word plays it on its own and opens its dictionary entry, with the pronunciation shown in IPA alongside the part of speech and meaning. The reading voice uses United States English. This matters most for a work of this period, where a reader meets vocabulary and turns of phrase that are no longer in daily use and cannot be guessed reliably from spelling alone.

Questions about reading For the Defence

Common questions about reading For the Defence by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of For the Defence?

Yes. All 4041 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55420 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of For the Defence is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55420, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does For the Defence take to read?

About 336 minutes of reading across 809 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read For the Defence section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of For the Defence to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in For the Defence

Words and structures a reader meets early in For the Defence, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Laurence
A word that appears in the opening chapter of For the Defence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Retired
A word that appears in the opening chapter of For the Defence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Major
A word that appears in the opening chapter of For the Defence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bachelor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of For the Defence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.