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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 36/125 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
But I will carry it out.
Even with the pleasure paled, the duty remains, and I will not spare him.
And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.
The lesson of it has manifestly reformed his character, and in the change he is happy.
He, the guilty party, is absolved from all suffering; you, the innocent, are borne down with it.
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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 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 36/125 · 5 reading units · Lines 176–180

Line 1
But I will carry it out.
/bʌt aɪ wɪl ˈkæri ɪt aʊt/
Line 2
Even with the pleasure paled, the duty remains, and I will not spare him.
/ˈiːvɪn wɪð ðə ˈpleʒər peɪld ðə ˈduːti rɪˈmeɪnz ənd aɪ wɪl nɑːt sper hɪm/
Line 3
And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.
/ənd fɔːr maɪ help ə ʃɑːrp rɪˈzentmənt ˈraɪzəz ɪn miː wen aɪ rɪˈflekt ðæt hiː huː kəˈmɪtɪd ðæt ˈoʊdiəs kraɪm ɪz ðə ˈoʊnli wʌn huː hæz nɑːt ˈsʌfərd baɪ ɪt/
Line 4
The lesson of it has manifestly reformed his character, and in the change he is happy.
/ðə ˈlesən ʌv ɪt hæz ˈmænəfestli rɪˈfɔːrmd hɪz ˈkerɪktər ənd ɪn ðə tʃeɪndʒ hiː ɪz ˈhæpi/
Line 5
He, the guilty party, is absolved from all suffering; you, the innocent, are borne down with it.
/hiː ðə ˈɡɪlti ˈpɑːrti ɪz əbˈzɑːlvd frʌm ɔːl ˈsʌfərɪŋ juː ðə ˈɪnəsənt ɑːr bɔːrn daʊn wɪð ɪt/

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.

absolved adjective US /əbˈzɑːlvd/

freed from any question of guilt

From this reading “He, the guilty party, is absolved from all suffering; you, the innocent, are borne down with it.”

manifestly adverb US /ˈmænəfestli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading “The lesson of it has manifestly reformed his character, and in the change he is happy.”

odious adjective US /ˈoʊdiəs/

unequivocally detestable

From this reading “And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.”

paled verb US /peɪld/

past form of “pale” — turn pale, as if in fear

From this reading “Even with the pleasure paled, the duty remains, and I will not spare him.”

reflect verb US /rɪˈflekt/

manifest or bring back

From this reading “And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.”

reformed adjective US /rɪˈfɔːrmd/

of or relating to the body of Protestant Christianity arising during the Reformation; used of some Protestant churches especially Calvinist as distinct from Lutheran

From this reading “The lesson of it has manifestly reformed his character, and in the change he is happy.”

resentment noun US /rɪˈzentmənt/

a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will

From this reading “And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.”

rises noun US /ˈraɪzəz/

plural of “rise” — a growth in strength or number or importance

From this reading “And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.”

All words in this reading · 59

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 And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

absolvedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɑːlvd/

freed from any question of guilt

From this reading He, the guilty party, is absolved from all suffering; you, the innocent, are borne down with it.

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 He, the guilty party, is absolved from all suffering; you, the innocent, are borne down with it.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Even with the pleasure paled, the duty remains, and I will not spare him.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading He, the guilty party, is absolved from all suffering; you, the innocent, are borne down with it.

borneverbUS /bɔːrn/

inflected form of “bear” — have

From this reading He, the guilty party, is absolved from all suffering; you, the innocent, are borne down with it.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But I will carry it out.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

carryverbUS /ˈkæri/

move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading But I will carry it out.

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading The lesson of it has manifestly reformed his character, and in the change he is happy.

characternounUS /ˈkerɪktər/

an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading The lesson of it has manifestly reformed his character, and in the change he is happy.

committedadjectiveUS /kəˈmɪtɪd/

bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

crimenounUS /kraɪm/

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

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading He, the guilty party, is absolved from all suffering; you, the innocent, are borne down with it.

dutynounUS /ˈduːti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading Even with the pleasure paled, the duty remains, and I will not spare him.

EvenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Even with the pleasure paled, the duty remains, and I will not spare him.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He, the guilty party, is absolved from all suffering; you, the innocent, are borne down with it.

guiltyadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪlti/

responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act

From this reading He, the guilty party, is absolved from all suffering; you, the innocent, are borne down with it.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading The lesson of it has manifestly reformed his character, and in the change he is happy.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Even with the pleasure paled, the duty remains, and I will not spare him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The lesson of it has manifestly reformed his character, and in the change he is happy.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading But I will carry it out.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

innocentadjectiveUS /ˈɪnəsənt/

free from evil or guilt

From this reading He, the guilty party, is absolved from all suffering; you, the innocent, are borne down with it.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But I will carry it out.

lessonnounUS /ˈlesən/

a unit of instruction

From this reading The lesson of it has manifestly reformed his character, and in the change he is happy.

manifestlyadverbUS /ˈmænəfestli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading The lesson of it has manifestly reformed his character, and in the change he is happy.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Even with the pleasure paled, the duty remains, and I will not spare him.

odiousadjectiveUS /ˈoʊdiəs/

unequivocally detestable

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The lesson of it has manifestly reformed his character, and in the change he is happy.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading But I will carry it out.

paledverbUS /peɪld/

past form of “pale” — turn pale, as if in fear

From this reading Even with the pleasure paled, the duty remains, and I will not spare him.

partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading He, the guilty party, is absolved from all suffering; you, the innocent, are borne down with it.

pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading Even with the pleasure paled, the duty remains, and I will not spare him.

reflectverbUS /rɪˈflekt/

manifest or bring back

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

reformedadjectiveUS /rɪˈfɔːrmd/

of or relating to the body of Protestant Christianity arising during the Reformation; used of some Protestant churches especially Calvinist as distinct from Lutheran

From this reading The lesson of it has manifestly reformed his character, and in the change he is happy.

remainsnounUS /rɪˈmeɪnz/

any object that is left unused or still extant

From this reading Even with the pleasure paled, the duty remains, and I will not spare him.

resentmentnounUS /rɪˈzentmənt/

a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

risesnounUS /ˈraɪzəz/

plural of “rise” — a growth in strength or number or importance

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

sharpadjectiveUS /ʃɑːrp/

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

spareverbUS /sper/

refrain from harming

From this reading Even with the pleasure paled, the duty remains, and I will not spare him.

sufferedverbUS /ˈsʌfərd/

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

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

sufferingnounUS /ˈsʌfərɪŋ/

a state of acute pain

From this reading He, the guilty party, is absolved from all suffering; you, the innocent, are borne down with it.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Even with the pleasure paled, the duty remains, and I will not spare him.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading And for my help, a sharp resentment rises in me when I reflect that he who committed that odious crime is the only one who has not suffered by it.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading But I will carry it out.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Even with the pleasure paled, the duty remains, and I will not spare him.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading He, the guilty party, is absolved from all suffering; you, the innocent, are borne down with it.

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.