Chapter 17 of Bats in the Wall is here in full — 165 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Bats in the Wall is here in full — 165 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN ADVERTISEMENT. When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side. Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep. "Good-morning, my boy," he said, pleasantly. "It's time you were stirring, if you intend taking breakfast with me."
Chapter 17 of Bats in the Wall is here in full — 165 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/33 · 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.
a public promotion of some product or service
From this reading “AN ADVERTISEMENT.”
possessive form of “detective” — a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading “Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.”
fasten with a hook
From this reading “When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.”
have in mind as a purpose
From this reading “"It's time you were stirring, if you intend taking breakfast with me."”
New Zealand writer of short stories (1888-1923)
From this reading “When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.”
in a cheerful manner
From this reading “"Good-morning, my boy," he said, pleasantly.”
the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit)
From this reading “Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.”
agitating a liquid with an implement
From this reading “"It's time you were stirring, if you intend taking breakfast with me."”
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.
In this reading “When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.”
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.
a public promotion of some product or service
From this reading AN ADVERTISEMENT.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN ADVERTISEMENT.
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.
a youthful male person
From this reading "Good-morning, my boy," he said, pleasantly.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading "It's time you were stirring, if you intend taking breakfast with me."
showing who or what does the action
From this reading When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.
possessive form of “detective” — a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
set up or found
From this reading When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Good-morning, my boy," he said, pleasantly.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.
fasten with a hook
From this reading When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "It's time you were stirring, if you intend taking breakfast with me."
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
have in mind as a purpose
From this reading "It's time you were stirring, if you intend taking breakfast with me."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's time you were stirring, if you intend taking breakfast with me."
New Zealand writer of short stories (1888-1923)
From this reading When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "It's time you were stirring, if you intend taking breakfast with me."
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Good-morning, my boy," he said, pleasantly.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
in a cheerful manner
From this reading "Good-morning, my boy," he said, pleasantly.
the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit)
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Good-morning, my boy," he said, pleasantly.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
having a supporting base
From this reading When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.
agitating a liquid with an implement
From this reading "It's time you were stirring, if you intend taking breakfast with me."
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading "It's time you were stirring, if you intend taking breakfast with me."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "It's time you were stirring, if you intend taking breakfast with me."
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Indeed, it was the pressure of the detective's hand upon his forehead that had called him from sleep.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "It's time you were stirring, if you intend taking breakfast with me."
at the time that
From this reading When Frank Mansfield awoke next morning he found Detective Hook standing by his side.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "It's time you were stirring, if you intend taking breakfast with me."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "It's time you were stirring, if you intend taking breakfast with me."
Chapter 17 of Bats in the Wall by P. T. Raymond holds 165 sentences, grouped into 33 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 17 holds 165 sentences of Bats in the Wall, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Bats in the Wall by P. T. Raymond exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 165 sentences, grouped into 33 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 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 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 17 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 Bats in the Wall by P. T. Raymond on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3210 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45492 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #45492, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 267 minutes of reading across 642 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Bats in the Wall section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of Bats in the Wall 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 Bats in the Wall, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
