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A Master Hand
A Master Hand

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of A Master Hand is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Richard Dallas • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Master Hand
Context Illustration Reading 1/38 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.
Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.
If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.
Hasty conclusions would not do.
They must be deliberate and be logically deduced from the evidence.
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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 Master Hand

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of A Master Hand is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/38 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.
/æn ˈiːvnɪŋ æt ðə klʌb əˈpɑːn ðə kənˈkluːʒən ʌv ðə ˈhiːrɪŋ aɪ left æt wʌns ənd əˈvɔɪdɪŋ ˈeni tʃæns ʌv ˌɪntərˈʌpʃən went dərˈektli tuː maɪ ruːmz/
Line 2
Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.
/wʌns ðer aɪ pʊld maɪ tʃer ʌp tuː ðə ˈfaɪər ˈlaɪtəd maɪ paɪp ənd sæt daʊn tuː θɪŋk ɪt ɔːl ˈoʊvər/
Line 3
If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.
/ɪf aɪ wɜːr ˈɡoʊɪŋ tuː wɜːrk ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli əˈpɑːn ðɪs keɪs aɪ mʌst ˌʌndərˈstænd ɪt ənd ɪf aɪ ment tuː prəˈsiːd əˈpɑːn ðə ˈθɪri ðæt ðə əˈkjuːzd wɑːz ˈɪnəsənt ənd traɪ tuː ɪˈstæblɪʃ ðæt fækt aɪ mʌst hæv ɡʊd ˈriːzən fɔːr sʌtʃ kɔːrs/
Line 4
Hasty conclusions would not do.
/ˈheɪsti kənˈkluːʒənz wʊd nɑːt duː/
Line 5
They must be deliberate and be logically deduced from the evidence.
/ðeɪ mʌst biː dɪˈlɪbərət ənd biː ˈlɑːdʒɪkli dɪˈduːst frʌm ðə ˈevədəns/

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.

avoiding verb US /əˈvɔɪdɪŋ/

-ing form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something

From this reading “AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conclusions noun US /kənˈkluːʒənz/

plural of “conclusion” — a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

From this reading “Hasty conclusions would not do.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deduced verb US /dɪˈduːst/

past form of “deduce” — reason by deduction; establish by deduction

From this reading “They must be deliberate and be logically deduced from the evidence.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deliberate adjective US /dɪˈlɪbərət/

carefully thought out in advance

From this reading “They must be deliberate and be logically deduced from the evidence.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
establish verb US /ɪˈstæblɪʃ/

set up or found

From this reading “If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intelligently adverb US /ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli/

in an intelligent manner

From this reading “If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
interruption noun US /ˌɪntərˈʌpʃən/

an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity

From this reading “AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
logically adverb US /ˈlɑːdʒɪkli/

according to logical reasoning

From this reading “They must be deliberate and be logically deduced from the evidence.”

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.

deduced from verb + particle counted as “deduce from”

In this reading “They must be deliberate and be logically deduced from the evidence.”

639 times in 225,867 chapters
at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.”

257,448 times in 225,867 chapters
good reason adjective + noun

In this reading “If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.”

8,899 times in 225,867 chapters
any chance adjective + noun

In this reading “AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.”

7,016 times in 225,867 chapters
went directly verb + particle counted as “go directly”

In this reading “AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.”

2,232 times in 225,867 chapters
avoiding any verb + adjective counted as “avoid any”

In this reading “AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.”

1,304 times in 225,867 chapters
AT THE CLUB preposition + article + noun counted as “at … club”

In this reading “AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.”

3,779 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 72

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.

accusednounUS /əˈkjuːzd/

a defendant in a criminal proceeding

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
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 Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ANdeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
avoidingverbUS /əˈvɔɪdɪŋ/

-ing form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

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 They must be deliberate and be logically deduced from the evidence.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chancenounUS /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CLUBnounUS /klʌb/

a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conclusionnounUS /kənˈkluːʒən/

a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conclusionsnounUS /kənˈkluːʒənz/

plural of “conclusion” — a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

From this reading Hasty conclusions would not do.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deducedverbUS /dɪˈduːst/

past form of “deduce” — reason by deduction; establish by deduction

From this reading They must be deliberate and be logically deduced from the evidence.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deliberateadjectiveUS /dɪˈlɪbərət/

carefully thought out in advance

From this reading They must be deliberate and be logically deduced from the evidence.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
directlyadverbUS /dərˈektli/

without deviation

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Hasty conclusions would not do.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
establishverbUS /ɪˈstæblɪʃ/

set up or found

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EVENINGnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

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

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
evidencenounUS /ˈevədəns/

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading They must be deliberate and be logically deduced from the evidence.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading They must be deliberate and be logically deduced from the evidence.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HastyadjectiveUS /ˈheɪsti/

excessively quick

From this reading Hasty conclusions would not do.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hearingnounUS /ˈhiːrɪŋ/

(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
innocentadjectiveUS /ˈɪnəsənt/

free from evil or guilt

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intelligentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli/

in an intelligent manner

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
interruptionnounUS /ˌɪntərˈʌpʃən/

an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lightedadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪtəd/

set afire or burning

From this reading Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
logicallyadverbUS /ˈlɑːdʒɪkli/

according to logical reasoning

From this reading They must be deliberate and be logically deduced from the evidence.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
meantverbUS /ment/

inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Hasty conclusions would not do.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
pipenounUS /paɪp/

a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco

From this reading Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
proceedverbUS /prəˈsiːd/

continue talking

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pulledverbUS /pʊld/

past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling

From this reading Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomsnounUS /ruːmz/

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theorynounUS /ˈθɪri/

a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They must be deliberate and be logically deduced from the evidence.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Once there I pulled my chair up to the fire, lighted my pipe, and sat down to think it all over.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
UponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

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 If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading AN EVENING AT THE CLUB Upon the conclusion of the hearing I left at once and, avoiding any chance of interruption, went directly to my rooms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading If I were going to work intelligently upon this case I must understand it, and if I meant to proceed upon the theory that the accused was innocent and try to establish that fact, I must have good reason for such course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Hasty conclusions would not do.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 7 of A Master Hand by Richard Dallas holds 194 sentences, grouped into 39 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 7 of A Master Hand contain?

Chapter 7 holds 194 sentences of A Master Hand, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of A Master Hand by Richard Dallas exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 194 sentences, grouped into 39 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 7 of A Master Hand?

Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 39 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Master Hand

Common questions about reading A Master Hand by Richard Dallas on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Master Hand?

Yes. All 1933 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33228 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Master Hand is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33228, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Master Hand take to read?

About 161 minutes of reading across 387 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Master Hand section by section

How to work through A Master Hand section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 14 chapters of A Master Hand 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 Master Hand

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

Twenty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Master Hand; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Master Hand; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Passed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Master Hand; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Since
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Master Hand; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.