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A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story
A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story
Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A COIN OF EDWARD VII.
The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.
The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.
A pleasing romance runs through the book, which adds to the interest."
_The Philadelphia Public Ledger_ says: "'The Yellow Holly' outdoes any of his earlier stories.
0:00 / 0:00
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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 Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A COIN OF EDWARD VII.
Line 2
The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.
/ðə ˈɔːlbəni ˈiːvnɪŋ ˈdʒɜːrnəl sez ˈfʊli æz ˈɪntrəstɪŋ æz hɪz ˈfɔːrmər bʊks ənd kiːps wʌn ˈɡesɪŋ tuː ðə end/
Line 3
The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.
/ðə ˈstɔːri bɪˈɡɪnz wɪð ðə ˈmɜːrdər ʌv æn oʊld ˈleɪdi wɪð noʊ əˈperənt kɑːz fɔːr ðə kraɪm ənd ɪn ənˈrævəlɪŋ ðə ˈmɪstəri ðə ˈɔːθər ɪz ˈveri ˈklevər ɪn ˈhaɪdɪŋ ðə riːl ˈkrɪmənəl/
Line 4
A pleasing romance runs through the book, which adds to the interest."
/ə ˈpliːzɪŋ roʊˈmæns rʌnz θruː ðə bʊk wɪtʃ ædz tuː ðə ˈɪntrəst/
Line 5
_The Philadelphia Public Ledger_ says: "'The Yellow Holly' outdoes any of his earlier stories.
/ðə ˌfɪləˈdelfiə ˈpʌblɪk ˈledʒər sez ðə ˈjeloʊ ˈhɑːli ˌaʊtˈdʌz ˈeni ʌv hɪz ˈɜːrliər ˈstɔːriz/

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.

adds noun US /ædz/

plural of “add” — a condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders

From this reading “A pleasing romance runs through the book, which adds to the interest."”

Albany noun US /ˈɔːlbəni/

state capital of New York; located in eastern New York State on the west bank of the Hudson river

guessing noun US /ˈɡesɪŋ/

an estimate based on little or no information

From this reading “The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.”

Holly noun US /ˈhɑːli/

any tree or shrub of the genus Ilex having red berries and shiny evergreen leaves with prickly edges

From this reading “_The Philadelphia Public Ledger_ says: "'The Yellow Holly' outdoes any of his earlier stories.”

Ledger noun US /ˈledʒər/

a record in which commercial accounts are recorded

outdoes verb US /ˌaʊtˈdʌz/

third-person singular of “outdo” — be or do something to a greater degree

From this reading “_The Philadelphia Public Ledger_ says: "'The Yellow Holly' outdoes any of his earlier stories.”

Philadelphia noun US /ˌfɪləˈdelfiə/

the largest city in Pennsylvania; located in the southeastern part of the state on the Delaware river; site of Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed; site of the University of Pennsylvania

From this reading “_The Philadelphia Public Ledger_ says: "'The Yellow Holly' outdoes any of his earlier stories.”

unraveling verb US /ənˈrævəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “unravel” — become or cause to become undone by separating the fibers or threads of

From this reading “The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.”

All words in this reading · 61

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 A COIN OF EDWARD VII.

addsnounUS /ædz/

plural of “add” — a condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders

From this reading A pleasing romance runs through the book, which adds to the interest."

AlbanynounUS /ˈɔːlbəni/

state capital of New York; located in eastern New York State on the west bank of the Hudson river

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading _The Philadelphia Public Ledger_ says: "'The Yellow Holly' outdoes any of his earlier stories.

apparentadjectiveUS /əˈperənt/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

authornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

beginsnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnz/

plural of “begin” — Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading A pleasing romance runs through the book, which adds to the interest."

booksnounUS /bʊks/

Bound written or printed works.

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

cleveradjectiveUS /ˈklevər/

showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

COINverbUS /kɔɪn/

make up

From this reading A COIN OF EDWARD VII.

crimenounUS /kraɪm/

(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

criminaladjectiveUS /ˈkrɪmənəl/

bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

earlieradverbUS /ˈɜːrliər/

earlier in time; previously

From this reading _The Philadelphia Public Ledger_ says: "'The Yellow Holly' outdoes any of his earlier stories.

EDWARDnounUS /ˈedwərd/

King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)

From this reading A COIN OF EDWARD VII.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

EveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

formeradjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrmər/

referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

FullyadverbUS /ˈfʊli/

to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

guessingnounUS /ˈɡesɪŋ/

an estimate based on little or no information

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

hidingnounUS /ˈhaɪdɪŋ/

the activity of keeping something secret

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

HollynounUS /ˈhɑːli/

any tree or shrub of the genus Ilex having red berries and shiny evergreen leaves with prickly edges

From this reading _The Philadelphia Public Ledger_ says: "'The Yellow Holly' outdoes any of his earlier stories.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading A pleasing romance runs through the book, which adds to the interest."

interestingadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/

arousing or holding the attention

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

JournalnounUS /ˈdʒɜːrnəl/

a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

keepsnounUS /kiːps/

plural of “keep” — the financial means whereby one lives

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

LedgernounUS /ˈledʒər/

a record in which commercial accounts are recorded

From this reading _The Philadelphia Public Ledger_ says: "'The Yellow Holly' outdoes any of his earlier stories.

murderverbUS /ˈmɜːrdər/

kill intentionally and with premeditation

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

mysterynounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A COIN OF EDWARD VII.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

outdoesverbUS /ˌaʊtˈdʌz/

third-person singular of “outdo” — be or do something to a greater degree

From this reading _The Philadelphia Public Ledger_ says: "'The Yellow Holly' outdoes any of his earlier stories.

PhiladelphianounUS /ˌfɪləˈdelfiə/

the largest city in Pennsylvania; located in the southeastern part of the state on the Delaware river; site of Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed; site of the University of Pennsylvania

From this reading _The Philadelphia Public Ledger_ says: "'The Yellow Holly' outdoes any of his earlier stories.

pleasingadjectiveUS /ˈpliːzɪŋ/

giving pleasure and satisfaction

From this reading A pleasing romance runs through the book, which adds to the interest."

PublicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading _The Philadelphia Public Ledger_ says: "'The Yellow Holly' outdoes any of his earlier stories.

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

romancenounUS /roʊˈmæns/

a relationship between two lovers

From this reading A pleasing romance runs through the book, which adds to the interest."

runsnounUS /rʌnz/

plural of “run” — a score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely

From this reading A pleasing romance runs through the book, which adds to the interest."

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

storiesnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading _The Philadelphia Public Ledger_ says: "'The Yellow Holly' outdoes any of his earlier stories.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading A pleasing romance runs through the book, which adds to the interest."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The _Albany Evening Journal_ says: "Fully as interesting as his former books, and keeps one guessing to the end.

unravelingverbUS /ənˈrævəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “unravel” — become or cause to become undone by separating the fibers or threads of

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

VIInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading A COIN OF EDWARD VII.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading A pleasing romance runs through the book, which adds to the interest."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The story begins with the murder of an old lady, with no apparent cause for the crime, and in unraveling the mystery the author is very clever in hiding the real criminal.

YellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading _The Philadelphia Public Ledger_ says: "'The Yellow Holly' outdoes any of his earlier stories.

Chapter 1 of A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story by Fergus Hume holds 224 sentences, grouped into 45 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 1 of A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story contain?

Chapter 1 holds 224 sentences of A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 224 sentences, grouped into 45 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 1 of A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story

Common questions about reading A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story?

Yes. All 6533 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26063 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26063, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story take to read?

About 544 minutes of reading across 1307 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story section by section

How to work through A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story 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 Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Edward
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Albany
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Evening
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Journal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.