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A Canadian Bankclerk
A Canadian Bankclerk

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of A Canadian Bankclerk is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Jack Preston • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Canadian Bankclerk
Context Illustration Reading 1/43 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.
"Still at it?" asked Levison, the paying teller.
"Just struck a balance," replied Nelson.
"Good," said the teller, "we want another man to take a hand in poker.
Come up when you're through."
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Canadian Bankclerk

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of A Canadian Bankclerk is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.
Line 2
"Still at it?" asked Levison, the paying teller.
Line 3
"Just struck a balance," replied Nelson.
/dʒʌst strʌk ə ˈbæləns rɪˈplaɪd ˈnelsən/
Line 4
"Good," said the teller, "we want another man to take a hand in poker.
/ɡʊd sed ðə ˈtelər wiː wɑːnt əˈnʌðər mæn tuː teɪk ə hænd ɪn ˈpoʊkər/
Line 5
Come up when you're through."

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.

balance verb US /ˈbæləns/

bring into balance or equilibrium

From this reading “"Just struck a balance," replied Nelson.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Nelson noun US /ˈnelsən/

English admiral who defeated the French fleets of Napoleon but was mortally wounded at Trafalgar (1758-1805)

From this reading “"Just struck a balance," replied Nelson.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
paying adjective US /ˈpeɪɪŋ/

yielding a fair profit

From this reading “"Still at it?" asked Levison, the paying teller.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
poker noun US /ˈpoʊkər/

fire iron consisting of a metal rod with a handle; used to stir a fire

From this reading “"Good," said the teller, "we want another man to take a hand in poker.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
preaching noun US /ˈpriːtʃɪŋ/

an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service)

From this reading “_POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sam's noun US /sæmz/

possessive form of “sam” — a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

From this reading “_POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
staff noun US /stæf/

personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task

From this reading “_POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
teller noun US /ˈtelər/

United States physicist (born in Hungary) who worked on the first atom bomb and the first hydrogen bomb (1908-2003)

From this reading “"Still at it?" asked Levison, the paying teller.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

came back verb + particle counted as “come back”

be restored

In this reading “_POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.”

121,424 times in 225,867 chapters
Come up verb + adjective

bring forth, usually something desirable

In this reading “Come up when you're through."”

80,012 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 53

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 _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading "Good," said the teller, "we want another man to take a hand in poker.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Still at it?" asked Levison, the paying teller.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Still at it?" asked Levison, the paying teller.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
balanceverbUS /ˈbæləns/

bring into balance or equilibrium

From this reading "Just struck a balance," replied Nelson.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cash-book

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

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

Pending verification
ComeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading Come up when you're through."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Evan

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

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

Pending verification
foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GoodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading "Good," said the teller, "we want another man to take a hand in poker.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading "Good," said the teller, "we want another man to take a hand in poker.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Good," said the teller, "we want another man to take a hand in poker.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading "Just struck a balance," replied Nelson.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Levison

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

From this reading "Still at it?" asked Levison, the paying teller.

Pending verification
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading "Good," said the teller, "we want another man to take a hand in poker.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NelsonnounUS /ˈnelsən/

English admiral who defeated the French fleets of Napoleon but was mortally wounded at Trafalgar (1758-1805)

From this reading "Just struck a balance," replied Nelson.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
payingadjectiveUS /ˈpeɪɪŋ/

yielding a fair profit

From this reading "Still at it?" asked Levison, the paying teller.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
POKERnounUS /ˈpoʊkər/

fire iron consisting of a metal rod with a handle; used to stir a fire

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PREACHINGnounUS /ˈpriːtʃɪŋ/

an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service)

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "Just struck a balance," replied Nelson.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Good," said the teller, "we want another man to take a hand in poker.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sam'snounUS /sæmz/

possessive form of “sam” — a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
souseverb

cover with liquid; pour liquid onto

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
staffnounUS /stæf/

personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading "Still at it?" asked Levison, the paying teller.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
struckadjectiveUS /strʌk/

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

From this reading "Just struck a balance," replied Nelson.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading "Good," said the teller, "we want another man to take a hand in poker.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tellernounUS /ˈtelər/

United States physicist (born in Hungary) who worked on the first atom bomb and the first hydrogen bomb (1908-2003)

From this reading "Still at it?" asked Levison, the paying teller.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Come up when you're through."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Come up when you're through."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading "Good," said the teller, "we want another man to take a hand in poker.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "Good," said the teller, "we want another man to take a hand in poker.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Come up when you're through."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
workingadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/

actively engaged in paid work

From this reading _POKER AND PREACHING._ A night or two after "Sam's souse," as the staff called it, four of the boys came back to the office and found Evan working, as usual, on the cash-book.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
you're

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

From this reading Come up when you're through."

Pending verification

Chapter 14 of A Canadian Bankclerk by Jack Preston holds 216 sentences, grouped into 44 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 14 of A Canadian Bankclerk contain?

Chapter 14 holds 216 sentences of A Canadian Bankclerk, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of A Canadian Bankclerk by Jack Preston exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 216 sentences, grouped into 44 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 14 of A Canadian Bankclerk?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 A Canadian Bankclerk

Common questions about reading A Canadian Bankclerk by Jack Preston on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Canadian Bankclerk?

Yes. All 5846 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31602 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Canadian Bankclerk is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #31602, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Canadian Bankclerk take to read?

About 487 minutes of reading across 1170 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Canadian Bankclerk section by section

How to work through A Canadian Bankclerk 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 A Canadian Bankclerk

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Canadian Bankclerk, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Others'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Canadian Bankclerk; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pocket
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Canadian Bankclerk; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Crammed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Canadian Bankclerk; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cleric
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Canadian Bankclerk; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.