Chapter 15 of A Gentleman of Leisure is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of A Gentleman of Leisure is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it. I didn’t suspect it till I had the thing in my hands. Looking at it—even quite close—I was taken in for a moment.” Sir Thomas swallowed nervously. “How did you know?” he muttered.
Chapter 15 of A Gentleman of Leisure is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading “Looking at it—even quite close—I was taken in for a moment.””
the doctrine that representations of nature or human behavior should be accurate imitations
From this reading ““Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.”
to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open
From this reading ““Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.”
past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading ““How did you know?” he muttered.”
in an anxiously nervous manner
From this reading “Sir Thomas swallowed nervously.”
imagine to be the case or true or probable
From this reading “I didn’t suspect it till I had the thing in my hands.”
past form of “swallow” — pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking
From this reading “Sir Thomas swallowed nervously.”
United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)
From this reading “Sir Thomas swallowed nervously.”
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.
In this reading “Looking at it—even quite close—I was taken in for a moment.””
temporarily
In this reading “Looking at it—even quite close—I was taken in for a moment.””
In this reading ““Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Looking at it—even quite close—I was taken in for a moment.”
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Looking at it—even quite close—I was taken in for a moment.”
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “How did you know?” he muttered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I didn’t suspect it till I had the thing in my hands.
divisible by two
From this reading Looking at it—even quite close—I was taken in for a moment.”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I didn’t suspect it till I had the thing in my hands.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading I didn’t suspect it till I had the thing in my hands.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “How did you know?” he muttered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “How did you know?” he muttered.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I didn’t suspect it till I had the thing in my hands.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.
the doctrine that representations of nature or human behavior should be accurate imitations
From this reading “Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I didn’t suspect it till I had the thing in my hands.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.
to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open
From this reading “Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “How did you know?” he muttered.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Looking at it—even quite close—I was taken in for a moment.”
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading “Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.
a particular point in time
From this reading Looking at it—even quite close—I was taken in for a moment.”
past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading “How did you know?” he muttered.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I didn’t suspect it till I had the thing in my hands.
in an anxiously nervous manner
From this reading Sir Thomas swallowed nervously.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Looking at it—even quite close—I was taken in for a moment.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.
express in words
From this reading “Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.
term of address for a man
From this reading Sir Thomas swallowed nervously.
imagine to be the case or true or probable
From this reading I didn’t suspect it till I had the thing in my hands.
past form of “swallow” — pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking
From this reading Sir Thomas swallowed nervously.
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Looking at it—even quite close—I was taken in for a moment.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I didn’t suspect it till I had the thing in my hands.
a special situation
From this reading I didn’t suspect it till I had the thing in my hands.
United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)
From this reading Sir Thomas swallowed nervously.
up to a particular time
From this reading I didn’t suspect it till I had the thing in my hands.
precisely as stated
From this reading “Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Looking at it—even quite close—I was taken in for a moment.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Mind you,” said Jimmy, “it’s a very good imitation—I’ll say that for it.
Chapter 15 of A Gentleman of Leisure by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse holds 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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.
Chapter 15 holds 404 sentences of A Gentleman of Leisure, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of A Gentleman of Leisure by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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.
Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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.
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.
Common questions about reading A Gentleman of Leisure by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6471 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #65172 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #65172, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 539 minutes of reading across 1295 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Gentleman of Leisure section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of A Gentleman of Leisure to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Gentleman of Leisure, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
