A Secret Service

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of A Secret Service is here in full — 268 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William Le Queux • Curated US English Learning Edition

Chapter 11 of A Secret Service by William Le Queux holds 268 sentences, grouped into 54 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 11 of A Secret Service contain?

Chapter 11 holds 268 sentences of A Secret Service, unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of A Secret Service by William Le Queux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 268 sentences, grouped into 54 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 11 of A Secret Service?

Work through the 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 54 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 Secret Service

Common questions about reading A Secret Service by William Le Queux on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Secret Service?

Yes. All 4061 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67278 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Secret Service is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #67278, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Secret Service take to read?

About 338 minutes of reading across 813 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Secret Service

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

William: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Secret Service; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Queux: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Secret Service; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Secret Service; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Zoraida: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Secret Service; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE CONFESSION OF VASSILII.

I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

He had been recommended to me as a steady, intelligent _yamstchik_ (driver) of superior education to the average Muscovite, and he would, I was assured, serve me faithfully and well on the long journey I had been compelled to undertake.

I therefore engaged him.

Outwardly, he was a rough, uncouth-looking fellow with unkempt grey hair and unshorn beard, but very soon I ascertained that he was well read, and that he spoke French quite fluently.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XI Reading 1/54

A Secret Service William Le Queux

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of A Secret Service is here in full — 268 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE CONFESSION OF VASSILII. I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan. He had been recommended to me as a steady, intelligent _yamstchik_ (driver) of superior education to the average Muscovite, and he would, I was assured, serve me faithfully and well on the long journey I had been compelled to undertake. I therefore engaged him. Outwardly, he was a rough, uncouth-looking fellow with unkempt grey hair and unshorn beard, but very soon I ascertained that he was well read, and that he spoke French quite fluently.

A Secret Service

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of A Secret Service is here in full — 268 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/54 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE CONFESSION OF VASSILII.

Line 2

I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

Line 3

Line 4

I therefore engaged him.

Line 5

Outwardly, he was a rough, uncouth-looking fellow with unkempt grey hair and unshorn beard, but very soon I ascertained that he was well read, and that he spoke French quite fluently.

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, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “He had been recommended to me as a steady, intelligent _yamstchik_ (driver) of superior education to the average Muscovite, and he would, I was assured, serve me faithfully and well on the long journey I had been compelled to undertake.”

Therefore adverb US /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading “I therefore engaged him.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

All words in this reading · 67

Every word is available to listen to. 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 I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He had been recommended to me as a steady, intelligent _yamstchik_ (driver) of superior education to the average Muscovite, and he would, I was assured, serve me faithfully and well on the long journey I had been compelled to undertake.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

ascertained

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

From this reading Outwardly, he was a rough, uncouth-looking fellow with unkempt grey hair and unshorn beard, but very soon I ascertained that he was well read, and that he spoke French quite fluently.

assured

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

Astrakhan

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

From this reading I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

average

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

beard

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

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

compelled

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CONFESSION

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From this reading THE CONFESSION OF VASSILII.

driver

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

Durnovskaia

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

From this reading I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

education

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

engaged

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

From this reading I therefore engaged him.

faithfully

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fellow

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

few

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

From this reading I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

fluently

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

French

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

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

grey

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

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

hair

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

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading I therefore engaged him.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

intelligent

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

journey

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

long

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

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

met

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

From this reading I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

miles

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

From this reading I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

Muscovite

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

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE CONFESSION OF VASSILII.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

Outwardly

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

Poklévski

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

From this reading I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

post-house

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

From this reading I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

quite

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

read

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

recommended

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

rough

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

serve

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

small

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

From this reading I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

soon

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

spoke

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steady

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superior

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thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE CONFESSION OF VASSILII.

thereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading I therefore engaged him.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

uncouth-looking

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

undertake

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unkempt

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unshorn

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VASSILII

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From this reading THE CONFESSION OF VASSILII.

very

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

village

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

From this reading I met Vassilii Poklévski at the post-house at Durnovskaia, a small village a few miles from Astrakhan.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

well

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

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

yamstchik

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

Chapter XI

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