Chapter 12 of A Nest of Spies is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of A Nest of Spies is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
* * * * * Juve did not quit the neighbourhood of the quay. Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company. An hour passed. Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!... Juve thrilled!...
Chapter 12 of A Nest of Spies is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
past form of “cock” — tilt or slant to one side
From this reading “Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!...”
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed
From this reading “Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!...”
inflected form of “instal” — set up for use
From this reading “Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.”
possessive form of “official” — a worker who holds or is invested with an office
From this reading “Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.”
wharf usually built parallel to the shoreline
From this reading “* * * * * Juve did not quit the neighbourhood of the quay.”
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading “Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.”
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed
From this reading “Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!...”
feeling intense pleasurable excitement
From this reading “Juve thrilled!...”
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 Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An hour passed.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!...
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!...
past form of “cock” — tilt or slant to one side
From this reading Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!...
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
accepted or habitual practice
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading * * * * * Juve did not quit the neighbourhood of the quay.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!...
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!...
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed
From this reading Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!...
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading An hour passed.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
inflected form of “instal” — set up for use
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading * * * * * Juve did not quit the neighbourhood of the quay.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!...
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!...
a surrounding or nearby region
From this reading * * * * * Juve did not quit the neighbourhood of the quay.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading * * * * * Juve did not quit the neighbourhood of the quay.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading * * * * * Juve did not quit the neighbourhood of the quay.
possessive form of “official” — a worker who holds or is invested with an office
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
and nothing more
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
go across or through
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading An hour passed.
wharf usually built parallel to the shoreline
From this reading * * * * * Juve did not quit the neighbourhood of the quay.
put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading * * * * * Juve did not quit the neighbourhood of the quay.
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed
From this reading Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!...
in a stolid manner
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading * * * * * Juve did not quit the neighbourhood of the quay.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!...
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
feeling intense pleasurable excitement
From this reading Juve thrilled!...
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Juve cocked a listening ear; there were furtive footsteps--stealthy movements close by!...
in the company of; together with
From this reading Installed in a custom house official's sentry box, he stolidly set himself to pass the night with only his thoughts for company.
Chapter 12 of A Nest of Spies by Pierre Souvestre holds 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 12 holds 424 sentences of A Nest of Spies, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of A Nest of Spies by Pierre Souvestre exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 12 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.
