Chapter 8 of A Nest of Spies is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of A Nest of Spies is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?" Juve asked himself. Then he had an inspiration. "We must not use it again," he announced. "I have reason to think our customary password is known ...
Chapter 8 of A Nest of Spies is here in full — 403 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.
declared publicly; made widely known
From this reading “"We must not use it again," he announced.”
in accordance with convention or custom
From this reading “"I have reason to think our customary password is known ...”
a tie in tennis or table tennis that requires winning two successive points to win the game
From this reading “"Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"”
widely known and esteemed
From this reading “"Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"”
arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity
From this reading “Then he had an inspiration.”
a secret word or phrase known only to a restricted group
From this reading “"I have reason to think our customary password is known ...”
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading “"I have reason to think our customary password is known ...”
the act of using
From this reading “"We must not use it again," he announced.”
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.
anew
From this reading "We must not use it again," he announced.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Then he had an inspiration.
declared publicly; made widely known
From this reading "We must not use it again," he announced.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Juve asked himself.
in accordance with convention or custom
From this reading "I have reason to think our customary password is known ...
a tie in tennis or table tennis that requires winning two successive points to win the game
From this reading "Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"
widely known and esteemed
From this reading "Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Then he had an inspiration.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I have reason to think our customary password is known ...
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then he had an inspiration.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Juve asked himself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"
arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity
From this reading Then he had an inspiration.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "We must not use it again," he announced.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Juve asked himself.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"
apprehended with certainty
From this reading "I have reason to think our customary password is known ...
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "We must not use it again," he announced.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "We must not use it again," he announced.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "I have reason to think our customary password is known ...
a secret word or phrase known only to a restricted group
From this reading "I have reason to think our customary password is known ...
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading "I have reason to think our customary password is known ...
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he had an inspiration.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I have reason to think our customary password is known ...
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"
the act of using
From this reading "We must not use it again," he announced.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "We must not use it again," he announced.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading "Now, how the deuce am I to know what this famous word is?"
Chapter 8 of A Nest of Spies by Pierre Souvestre holds 403 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 8 holds 403 sentences of A Nest of Spies, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of A Nest of Spies by Pierre Souvestre exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 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 8 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 Nest of Spies by Pierre Souvestre on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7984 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29029 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #29029, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1597 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Nest of Spies section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of A Nest of Spies 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 Nest of Spies, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
