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A Dash for a Throne
A Dash for a Throne

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of A Dash for a Throne is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Arthur W. Marchmont • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Dash for a Throne
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.
"Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.
"I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.
"I am sorry you have compelled me to resort to force.
It was not my wish."
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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 Dash for a Throne

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of A Dash for a Throne is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.
/ðə pərˈsuːt wɪl juː siːs tuː rɪˈzɪst ɪf maɪ men liːv juː æskt ðə ˈɔːfəsər ˈæftər aɪ hæd bɪn ˈkwaɪət sʌm taɪm/
Line 2
"Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.
/jes bʌt aɪ ʃæl hoʊld juː riˈspɑːnsəbəl fɔːr ðə ˈkɑːnsəkwensəz ʌv ðɪs dɪˈtenʃən ʌv miː ənd ðeɪ meɪ biː ˈhevi ənd ˈsɪriəs aɪ rɪˈplaɪd/
Line 3
"I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.
/aɪ æm ˈoʊnli ˈæktɪŋ ˈʌndər ˈɔːrdərz wɑːz hɪz ˈænsər ənd hiː saɪnd tuː ðə men tuː wɪðˈdrɔː əˈɡen/
Line 4
"I am sorry you have compelled me to resort to force.
/aɪ æm ˈsɑːri juː hæv kəmˈpeld miː tuː rɪˈzɔːrt tuː fɔːrs/
Line 5
It was not my wish."
/ɪt wɑːz nɑːt maɪ wɪʃ/

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.

cease verb US /siːs/

put an end to a state or an activity

From this reading “THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
consequences noun US /ˈkɑːnsəkwensəz/

plural of “consequence” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading “"Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
detention noun US /dɪˈtenʃən/

a state of being confined (usually for a short time)

From this reading “"Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resist verb US /rɪˈzɪst/

elude, especially in a baffling way

From this reading “THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resort noun US /rɪˈzɔːrt/

a hotel located in a resort area

From this reading “"I am sorry you have compelled me to resort to force.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
responsible adjective US /riˈspɑːnsəbəl/

worthy of or requiring responsibility or trust; or held accountable

From this reading “"Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
signed adjective US /saɪnd/

having a handwritten signature

From this reading “"I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withdraw verb US /wɪðˈdrɔː/

pull back or move away or backward

From this reading “"I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.”

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.

some time adjective + noun

In this reading “THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.”

77,244 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 58

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.

actingnounUS /ˈæktɪŋ/

the performance of a part or role in a drama

From this reading "I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading "I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading "I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
askedverbUS /æskt/

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

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ceaseverbUS /siːs/

put an end to a state or an activity

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
compelledverbUS /kəmˈpeld/

inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something

From this reading "I am sorry you have compelled me to resort to force.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
consequencesnounUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwensəz/

plural of “consequence” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
detentionnounUS /dɪˈtenʃən/

a state of being confined (usually for a short time)

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
forcenounUS /fɔːrs/

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading "I am sorry you have compelled me to resort to force.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "I am sorry you have compelled me to resort to force.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
holdverbUS /hoʊld/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was not my wish."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It was not my wish."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
officernounUS /ˈɔːfəsər/

any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading "I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ordersnounUS /ˈɔːrdərz/

plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading "I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PURSUITnounUS /pərˈsuːt/

the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resistverbUS /rɪˈzɪst/

elude, especially in a baffling way

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resortnounUS /rɪˈzɔːrt/

a hotel located in a resort area

From this reading "I am sorry you have compelled me to resort to force.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
responsibleadjectiveUS /riˈspɑːnsəbəl/

worthy of or requiring responsibility or trust; or held accountable

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seriousadjectiveUS /ˈsɪriəs/

concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
signedadjectiveUS /saɪnd/

having a handwritten signature

From this reading "I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading "I am sorry you have compelled me to resort to force.

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 THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading "I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading It was not my wish."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withdrawverbUS /wɪðˈdrɔː/

pull back or move away or backward

From this reading "I am only acting under orders," was his answer, and he signed to the men to withdraw again.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes, but I shall hold you responsible for the consequences of this detention of me, and they may be heavy and serious," I replied.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading THE PURSUIT "Will you cease to resist if my men leave you?" asked the officer after I had been quiet some time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 23 of A Dash for a Throne by Arthur W. Marchmont holds 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 23 of A Dash for a Throne contain?

Chapter 23 holds 203 sentences of A Dash for a Throne, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of A Dash for a Throne by Arthur W. Marchmont exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 23 of A Dash for a Throne?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 Dash for a Throne

Common questions about reading A Dash for a Throne by Arthur W. Marchmont on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Dash for a Throne?

Yes. All 5536 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40907 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Dash for a Throne is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40907, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Dash for a Throne take to read?

About 461 minutes of reading across 1108 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Dash for a Throne section by section

How to work through A Dash for a Throne 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 Dash for a Throne

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

Nearly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Dash for a Throne; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Dash for a Throne; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Everything
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Dash for a Throne; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Forgiven
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Dash for a Throne; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.