Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A Double Barrelled Detective Story
A Double Barrelled Detective Story

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of A Double Barrelled Detective Story is here in full — 627 sentences across 126 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Double Barrelled Detective Story
Context Illustration Reading 31/125 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
You must then MOVE ON.
If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.
Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.
You brought misery upon an old man, and ruined his life and broke his heart.
What he suffered, you are to suffer.
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 Double Barrelled Detective Story

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of A Double Barrelled Detective Story is here in full — 627 sentences across 126 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 31/125 · 5 reading units · Lines 151–155

Line 1
You must then MOVE ON.
/juː mʌst ðen muːv ɑːn/
Line 2
If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.
/ɪf juː ɑːr stɪl ɪn ðə pleɪs ˈæftər ðə neɪmd ˈaʊər aɪ wɪl ˈplækərd juː ɑːn ɔːl ðə ded wɔːlz dɪˈteɪlɪŋ jɔːr kraɪm wʌns mɔːr ənd ˈædɪŋ ðə deɪt ˈɔːlsoʊ ðə siːn ʌv ɪt wɪð ɔːl neɪmz kənˈsɜːrnd ˌɪnˈkluːdɪŋ jɔːr oʊn/
Line 3
Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.
Line 4
You brought misery upon an old man, and ruined his life and broke his heart.
/juː brɔːt ˈmɪzəri əˈpɑːn æn oʊld mæn ənd ˈruːənd hɪz laɪf ənd broʊk hɪz hɑːrt/
Line 5
What he suffered, you are to suffer.
/wʌt hiː ˈsʌfərd juː ɑːr tuː ˈsʌfər/

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.

adding verb US /ˈædɪŋ/

-ing form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading “If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.”

bodily adverb US /ˈbɑːdəli/

in bodily form

From this reading “Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.”

date noun US /deɪt/

the specified day of the month

From this reading “If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.”

detailing noun US /dɪˈteɪlɪŋ/

an individualized description of a particular instance

From this reading “If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.”

including verb US /ˌɪnˈkluːdɪŋ/

-ing form of “include” — have as a part, be made up out of

From this reading “If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.”

inflicted verb US /ˌɪnˈflɪktɪd/

past form of “inflict” — impose something unpleasant

From this reading “Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.”

injury noun US /ˈɪndʒəri/

any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.

From this reading “Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.”

placard verb US /ˈplækərd/

post in a public place

From this reading “If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.”

All words in this reading · 62

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.

addingverbUS /ˈædɪŋ/

-ing form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading You brought misery upon an old man, and ruined his life and broke his heart.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.

bodilyadverbUS /ˈbɑːdəli/

in bodily form

From this reading Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.

brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading You brought misery upon an old man, and ruined his life and broke his heart.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading You brought misery upon an old man, and ruined his life and broke his heart.

circumstancesnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəmstænsəz/

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.

concernedadjectiveUS /kənˈsɜːrnd/

feeling or showing worry or solicitude

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

crimenounUS /kraɪm/

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

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

datenounUS /deɪt/

the specified day of the month

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

detailingnounUS /dɪˈteɪlɪŋ/

an individualized description of a particular instance

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.

Haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading What he suffered, you are to suffer.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading You brought misery upon an old man, and ruined his life and broke his heart.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading You brought misery upon an old man, and ruined his life and broke his heart.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

includingverbUS /ˌɪnˈkluːdɪŋ/

-ing form of “include” — have as a part, be made up out of

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

inflictedverbUS /ˌɪnˈflɪktɪd/

past form of “inflict” — impose something unpleasant

From this reading Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.

injurynounUS /ˈɪndʒəri/

any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.

From this reading Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading You brought misery upon an old man, and ruined his life and broke his heart.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading You brought misery upon an old man, and ruined his life and broke his heart.

miserynounUS /ˈmɪzəri/

a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune

From this reading You brought misery upon an old man, and ruined his life and broke his heart.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

MOVEverbUS /muːv/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading You must then MOVE ON.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading You must then MOVE ON.

namedverbUS /neɪmd/

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

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

namesnounUS /neɪmz/

verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading You brought misery upon an old man, and ruined his life and broke his heart.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading You must then MOVE ON.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

placardverbUS /ˈplækərd/

post in a public place

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

ruinedadjectiveUS /ˈruːənd/

destroyed physically or morally

From this reading You brought misery upon an old man, and ruined his life and broke his heart.

scenenounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

sufferverbUS /ˈsʌfər/

undergo or be subjected to

From this reading What he suffered, you are to suffer.

sufferedverbUS /ˈsʌfərd/

past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to

From this reading What he suffered, you are to suffer.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading You must then MOVE ON.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading What he suffered, you are to suffer.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Have no fear of bodily injury--it will in no circumstances ever be inflicted upon you.

wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What he suffered, you are to suffer.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You must then MOVE ON.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading If you are still in the place after the named hour, I will placard you on all the dead walls, detailing your crime once more, and adding the date, also the scene of it, with all names concerned, including your own.

Chapter 1 of A Double Barrelled Detective Story by Mark Twain holds 627 sentences, grouped into 126 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 Double Barrelled Detective Story contain?

Chapter 1 holds 627 sentences of A Double Barrelled Detective Story, unabridged, divided into 126 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A Double Barrelled Detective Story by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 627 sentences, grouped into 126 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 Double Barrelled Detective Story?

Work through the 126 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 126 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 Double Barrelled Detective Story

Common questions about reading A Double Barrelled Detective Story by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Double Barrelled Detective Story?

Yes. All 1257 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3180 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Double Barrelled Detective Story is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3180, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Double Barrelled Detective Story take to read?

About 104 minutes of reading across 252 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Double Barrelled Detective Story section by section

How to work through A Double Barrelled Detective Story section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of A Double Barrelled 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 Double Barrelled Detective Story

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Double Barrelled Detective Story, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Ought
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Double Barrelled Detective Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Never
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Double Barrelled Detective Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wrong
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Double Barrelled Detective Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
People
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Double Barrelled Detective Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.