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A Master of Deception
A Master of Deception

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of A Master of Deception is here in full — 193 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Richard Marsh • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Master of Deception
Context Illustration Reading 1/38 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.
These were cousins of her mother.
Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.
Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.
Mr. Austin's inclination was towards jocosity.
0:00 / 0:00
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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 of Deception

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of A Master of Deception is here in full — 193 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.
Line 2
These were cousins of her mother.
/ðiːz wɜːr ˈkʌzənz ʌv hɜːr ˈmʌðər/
Line 3
Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.
Line 4
Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.
Line 5
Mr. Austin's inclination was towards jocosity.

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.

Austin's noun US /ˈɔːstənz/

possessive form of “austin” — state capital of Texas on the Colorado River; site of the University of Texas

From this reading “Mr. Austin's inclination was towards jocosity.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fuss verb US /fʌs/

worry unnecessarily or excessively

From this reading “Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
halo noun US /ˈheɪloʊ/

an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint

From this reading “Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hostesses noun US /ˈhoʊstəsəz/

plural of “hostess” — a woman host

From this reading “THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
invest verb US /ˌɪnˈvest/

make an investment

From this reading “Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Misses noun US /ˈmɪsəz/

plural of “miss” — a young female

From this reading “THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
prim verb US /prɪm/

assume a prim appearance

From this reading “Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Stella noun US /ˈstelə/

United States minimalist painter (born in 1936)

From this reading “Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.”

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.

younger sister adjective + noun

In this reading “Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.”

1,864 times in 426,212 chapters
FEW WORDS adjective + noun

In this reading “THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.”

20,040 times in 426,212 chapters
young man adjective + noun

a teenager or a young adult male

In this reading “Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.”

130,774 times in 426,212 chapters
AT THE END preposition + article + noun counted as “at … end”

In this reading “THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.”

65,688 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 71

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 Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
askingnounUS /ˈæskɪŋ/

the verbal act of requesting

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Austin'snounUS /ˈɔːstənz/

possessive form of “austin” — state capital of Texas on the Colorado River; site of the University of Texas

From this reading Mr. Austin's inclination was towards jocosity.

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 Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Claughton

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

Pending verification
cousinsnounUS /ˈkʌzənz/

plural of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading These were cousins of her mother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
disposedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspoʊzd/

having made preparations

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ENDnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

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 THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FEWadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fussverbUS /fʌs/

worry unnecessarily or excessively

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

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

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

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
halonounUS /ˈheɪloʊ/

an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hostessesnounUS /ˈhoʊstəsəz/

plural of “hostess” — a woman host

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inclinationnounUS /ˌɪnkləˈneɪʃən/

an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others

From this reading Mr. Austin's inclination was towards jocosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
investverbUS /ˌɪnˈvest/

make an investment

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
jocositynoun

fun characterized by humor

From this reading Mr. Austin's inclination was towards jocosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ladiesnounUS /ˈleɪdiz/

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lady'snounUS /ˈleɪdiz/

possessive form of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
loversnounUS /ˈlʌvərz/

plural of “lover” — a person who loves someone or is loved by someone

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/

strongly marked; easily noticeable

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MissesnounUS /ˈmɪsəz/

plural of “miss” — a young female

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading These were cousins of her mother.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Austin's inclination was towards jocosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NancynounUS /ˈnænsi/

a city in northeastern France in Lorraine

From this reading Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
primverbUS /prɪm/

assume a prim appearance

From this reading Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Rodney

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Pending verification
sisternounUS /ˈsɪstər/

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StellanounUS /ˈstelə/

United States minimalist painter (born in 1936)

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stoutadjectiveUS /staʊt/

dependable

From this reading Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
straightadjectiveUS /streɪt/

successive (without a break)

From this reading Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tenderadjectiveUS /ˈtendər/

given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality

From this reading Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.

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 FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading These were cousins of her mother.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading Mr. Austin's inclination was towards jocosity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
unusualadjectiveUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəl/

not usual or common or ordinary

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WORDSnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading THE FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THE EVENING There were five of them at dinner--the lovers, the lady's father, her two hostesses--the Misses Claughton.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Both ladies were disposed to make a fuss of Rodney, to invest him with a sort of halo, as if, in asking Stella to be his wife, he had done something which marked him out as an unusual young man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youngeradjectiveUS /ˈjʌŋɡər/

used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father

From this reading Miss Claughton was tall and straight and prim; Miss Nancy Claughton, the younger sister, was stout and tender.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 19 of A Master of Deception by Richard Marsh holds 193 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 19 of A Master of Deception contain?

Chapter 19 holds 193 sentences of A Master of Deception, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of A Master of Deception by Richard Marsh exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 193 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 19 of A Master of Deception?

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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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 of Deception

Common questions about reading A Master of Deception by Richard Marsh on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Master of Deception?

Yes. All 5248 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38161 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Master of Deception is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #38161, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Master of Deception take to read?

About 437 minutes of reading across 1050 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Master of Deception section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of A Master of Deception 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 of Deception

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Master of Deception; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sisters
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Master of Deception; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lovely
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Master of Deception; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Blake
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Master of Deception; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.