Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A Cigarette Clew
A Cigarette Clew

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of A Cigarette Clew is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Nicholas (House name) Carter • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Cigarette Clew
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AT THE OBELISK.
At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”
Three men got out of the carriage.
An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.
But their general outlines were plain enough.
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 Cigarette Clew

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of A Cigarette Clew is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AT THE OBELISK.
Line 2
At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”
Line 3
Three men got out of the carriage.
/θriː men ɡɑːt aʊt ʌv ðə ˈkærɪdʒ/
Line 4
An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.
/æn ɪˈlektrɪk laɪt ˈfeɪntli ˌɪˈluːməneɪtəd ðæt pərˈtɪkjələr spɑːt ənd ðə fɔːrmz lʊkt dɑːrk ənd ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋkt/
Line 5
But their general outlines were plain enough.
/bʌt ðer ˈdʒenərəl ˈaʊtlaɪnz wɜːr pleɪn ɪˈnʌf/

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.

Cleopatra's noun US /ˌkliːəˈpætrəz/

possessive form of “cleopatra” — beautiful and charismatic queen of Egypt; mistress of Julius Caesar and later of Mark Antony; killed herself to avoid capture by Octavian (69-30 BC)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Egyptian noun US /ɪˈdʒɪpʃən/

a native or inhabitant of Egypt

From this reading “At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
halt verb US /hɔːlt/

cause to stop

From this reading “At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
illuminated adjective US /ˌɪˈluːməneɪtəd/

provided with artificial light

From this reading “An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
indistinct adjective US /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋkt/

not clearly defined or easy to perceive or understand

From this reading “An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Needle noun US /ˈniːdəl/

the leaf of a conifer

From this reading “At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
outlines noun US /ˈaʊtlaɪnz/

plural of “outline” — the line that appears to bound an object

From this reading “But their general outlines were plain enough.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
relic noun US /ˈrelɪk/

an antiquity that has survived from the distant past

From this reading “At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.””

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.

general outlines adjective + noun counted as “general outline”

In this reading “But their general outlines were plain enough.”

307 times in 426,211 chapters
particular spot adjective + noun

In this reading “An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.”

605 times in 426,211 chapters
plain enough adjective + noun

In this reading “But their general outlines were plain enough.”

2,987 times in 426,211 chapters
Three men noun + noun

In this reading “Three men got out of the carriage.”

10,862 times in 426,211 chapters
got out verb + adjective counted as “get out”

move out of or depart from

In this reading “Three men got out of the carriage.”

59,859 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 50

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 At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AndeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AT THE OBELISK.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But their general outlines were plain enough.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
carriagenounUS /ˈkærɪdʒ/

a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading Three men got out of the carriage.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CentraladjectiveUS /ˈsentrəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Cleopatra'snounUS /ˌkliːəˈpætrəz/

possessive form of “cleopatra” — beautiful and charismatic queen of Egypt; mistress of Julius Caesar and later of Mark Antony; killed herself to avoid capture by Octavian (69-30 BC)

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dashedadjectiveUS /dæʃt/

having gaps or spaces

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
driveverbUS /draɪv/

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eastnounUS /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EgyptiannounUS /ɪˈdʒɪpʃən/

a native or inhabitant of Egypt

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eight-thirty

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

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

Pending verification
electricadjectiveUS /ɪˈlektrɪk/

using or providing or producing or transmitting or operated by electricity

From this reading An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading But their general outlines were plain enough.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
faintlyadverbUS /ˈfeɪntli/

to a faint degree or weakly perceived

From this reading An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
formsnounUS /fɔːrmz/

plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
four-wheelernoun

a hackney carriage with four wheels

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
generaladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading But their general outlines were plain enough.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Three men got out of the carriage.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haltverbUS /hɔːlt/

cause to stop

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
illuminatedadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈluːməneɪtəd/

provided with artificial light

From this reading An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
indistinctadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋkt/

not clearly defined or easy to perceive or understand

From this reading An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Three men got out of the carriage.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NeedlenounUS /ˈniːdəl/

the leaf of a conifer

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OBELISKnoun

a stone pillar having a rectangular cross section tapering towards a pyramidal top

From this reading AT THE OBELISK.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oppositeadjectiveUS /ˈɑːpəzət/

being directly across from each other; facing

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
otherwiseadverbUS /ˈʌðərwaɪz/

in other respects or ways

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Three men got out of the carriage.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
outlinesnounUS /ˈaʊtlaɪnz/

plural of “outline” — the line that appears to bound an object

From this reading But their general outlines were plain enough.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ParknounUS /pɑːrk/

a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
particularadjectiveUS /pərˈtɪkjələr/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading But their general outlines were plain enough.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
relicnounUS /ˈrelɪk/

an antiquity that has survived from the distant past

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sharpadjectiveUS /ʃɑːrp/

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spotnounUS /spɑːt/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading An electric light faintly illuminated that particular spot, and the forms looked dark and indistinct.

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 AT THE OBELISK.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading But their general outlines were plain enough.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThreenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Three men got out of the carriage.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading At eight-thirty sharp a “four-wheeler” dashed up the east drive of Central Park and came to a halt opposite the Egyptian relic known as the Obelisk, otherwise “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading But their general outlines were plain enough.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 15 of A Cigarette Clew by Nicholas (House name) Carter holds 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 15 of A Cigarette Clew contain?

Chapter 15 holds 119 sentences of A Cigarette Clew, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of A Cigarette Clew by Nicholas (House name) Carter exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 15 of A Cigarette Clew?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Cigarette Clew

Common questions about reading A Cigarette Clew by Nicholas (House name) Carter on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Cigarette Clew?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Cigarette Clew is used?

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

How long does A Cigarette Clew take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Cigarette Clew section by section

How to work through A Cigarette Clew section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of A Cigarette Clew 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 A Cigarette Clew

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

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of A Cigarette Clew, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of A Cigarette Clew, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of A Cigarette Clew, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.