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Bats in the Wall
Bats in the Wall

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Bats in the Wall is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By P. T. Raymond • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Bats in the Wall
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE BENEATH THE CHURCH-YARD WALL.
"Come, speak up!
Are you dumb?
What are you doing at the door of the Webster Bank at this hour of the night?"
It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.
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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.

Bats in the Wall

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Bats in the Wall is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE BENEATH THE CHURCH-YARD WALL.
Line 2
"Come, speak up!
/kʌm spiːk ʌp/
Line 3
Are you dumb?
/ɑːr juː dʌm/
Line 4
What are you doing at the door of the Webster Bank at this hour of the night?"
/wʌt ɑːr juː ˈduːɪŋ æt ðə dɔːr ʌv ðə ˈwebstər bæŋk æt ðɪs ˈaʊər ʌv ðə naɪt/
Line 5
It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

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.

disappearance noun US /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/

the act of leaving secretly or without explanation

From this reading “THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE BENEATH THE CHURCH-YARD WALL.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dumb adjective US /dʌm/

slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity

From this reading “Are you dumb?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hallway noun US /ˈhɔːlweɪ/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading “It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Hook verb US /hʊk/

fasten with a hook

From this reading “It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
jerked verb US /dʒɜːrkt/

past form of “jerk” — pull, or move with a sudden movement

From this reading “It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mansfield noun US /ˈmænzfiːld/

New Zealand writer of short stories (1888-1923)

From this reading “It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
violently adverb US /ˈvaɪələntli/

in a violent manner

From this reading “It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Webster noun US /ˈwebstər/

English playwright (1580-1625)

From this reading “What are you doing at the door of the Webster Bank at this hour of the night?"”

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.

STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE adjective + noun

In this reading “THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE BENEATH THE CHURCH-YARD WALL.”

200 times in 426,211 chapters
at the door preposition + article + noun counted as “at … door”

In this reading “What are you doing at the door of the Webster Bank at this hour of the night?"”

53,016 times in 426,211 chapters
into the dark preposition + article + noun counted as “into … dark”

In this reading “It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.”

5,011 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 52

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Are you dumb?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading What are you doing at the door of the Webster Bank at this hour of the night?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BanknounUS /bæŋk/

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading What are you doing at the door of the Webster Bank at this hour of the night?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BENEATHprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE BENEATH THE CHURCH-YARD WALL.

Velmora curated lexicon
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Caleb

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

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

Pending verification
CHURCH-YARD

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

From this reading THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE BENEATH THE CHURCH-YARD WALL.

Pending verification
coat-collar

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

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

Pending verification
ComeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "Come, speak up!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
detectivenounUS /dɪˈtektɪv/

a police officer who investigates crimes

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DISAPPEARANCEnounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/

the act of leaving secretly or without explanation

From this reading THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE BENEATH THE CHURCH-YARD WALL.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading What are you doing at the door of the Webster Bank at this hour of the night?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading What are you doing at the door of the Webster Bank at this hour of the night?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dumbadjectiveUS /dʌm/

slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity

From this reading Are you dumb?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
entrancenounUS /ˈentrəns/

something that provides access (to get in or get out)

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
famousadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪməs/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
formedadjectiveUS /fɔːrmd/

having or given a form or shape

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FrankadjectiveUS /fræŋk/

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hallwaynounUS /ˈhɔːlweɪ/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HookverbUS /hʊk/

fasten with a hook

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading What are you doing at the door of the Webster Bank at this hour of the night?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
jerkedverbUS /dʒɜːrkt/

past form of “jerk” — pull, or move with a sudden movement

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MansfieldnounUS /ˈmænzfiːld/

New Zealand writer of short stories (1888-1923)

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading What are you doing at the door of the Webster Bank at this hour of the night?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading What are you doing at the door of the Webster Bank at this hour of the night?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
rearnounUS /rɪr/

the back of a military formation or procession

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seizedverbUS /siːzd/

past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speakverbUS /spiːk/

express in speech

From this reading "Come, speak up!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
STRANGEadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE BENEATH THE CHURCH-YARD WALL.

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 STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE BENEATH THE CHURCH-YARD WALL.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading What are you doing at the door of the Webster Bank at this hour of the night?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading "Come, speak up!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
violentlyadverbUS /ˈvaɪələntli/

in a violent manner

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WALLnounUS /wɔːl/

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE BENEATH THE CHURCH-YARD WALL.

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 It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WebsternounUS /ˈwebstər/

English playwright (1580-1625)

From this reading What are you doing at the door of the Webster Bank at this hour of the night?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What are you doing at the door of the Webster Bank at this hour of the night?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading It was Mr. Caleb Hook, the famous New York detective, who spoke, as he seized Frank Mansfield by the coat-collar and jerked him violently into the dark hallway which formed the rear entrance to the bank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Are you dumb?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 4 of Bats in the Wall by P. T. Raymond holds 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 4 of Bats in the Wall contain?

Chapter 4 holds 141 sentences of Bats in the Wall, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Bats in the Wall by P. T. Raymond exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 4 of Bats in the Wall?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Bats in the Wall

Common questions about reading Bats in the Wall by P. T. Raymond on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Bats in the Wall?

Yes. All 3210 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45492 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Bats in the Wall is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #45492, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Bats in the Wall take to read?

About 267 minutes of reading across 642 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Bats in the Wall section by section

How to work through Bats in the Wall section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Bats in the Wall

Words and structures a reader meets early in Bats in the Wall, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mystery
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bats in the Wall; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Trinity
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bats in the Wall; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Church-yard
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bats in the Wall; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Raymond
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Bats in the Wall; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.