Chapter 17 of Colonel Thorndyke's Secret is here in full — 278 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Colonel Thorndyke's Secret is here in full — 278 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him. They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day. “I am here on a matter of business, Thorndyke,” the latter said as they shook hands. “Of business!” Mark repeated.
Chapter 17 of Colonel Thorndyke's Secret is here in full — 278 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/55 · 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.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading “They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.”
a peasant farmer in the Scottish Highlands
From this reading “Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.”
communicated in words
From this reading “They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.”
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading “They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.”
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading ““I am here on a matter of business, Thorndyke,” the latter said as they shook hands.”
attach a tag or label to
From this reading “Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.”
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading “Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.”
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading “They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.”
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 “I am here on a matter of business, Thorndyke,” the latter said as they shook hands.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “I am here on a matter of business, Thorndyke,” the latter said as they shook hands.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “I am here on a matter of business, Thorndyke,” the latter said as they shook hands.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading “I am here on a matter of business, Thorndyke,” the latter said as they shook hands.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.
a peasant farmer in the Scottish Highlands
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.
communicated in words
From this reading They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
set up or found
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading “I am here on a matter of business, Thorndyke,” the latter said as they shook hands.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “I am here on a matter of business, Thorndyke,” the latter said as they shook hands.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I am here on a matter of business, Thorndyke,” the latter said as they shook hands.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading “I am here on a matter of business, Thorndyke,” the latter said as they shook hands.
attach a tag or label to
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading “I am here on a matter of business, Thorndyke,” the latter said as they shook hands.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.
recurring again and again
From this reading Mark repeated.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I am here on a matter of business, Thorndyke,” the latter said as they shook hands.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading “I am here on a matter of business, Thorndyke,” the latter said as they shook hands.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I am here on a matter of business, Thorndyke,” the latter said as they shook hands.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading They had met on the previous evening, and Cotter had expressed his intention of calling upon him the next day.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Four days later Mark, on his return from dinner, found Philip Cotter sitting in his room waiting for him.
Chapter 17 of Colonel Thorndyke's Secret by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty holds 278 sentences, grouped into 56 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 278 sentences of Colonel Thorndyke's Secret, unabridged, divided into 56 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Colonel Thorndyke's Secret by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 278 sentences, grouped into 56 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 56 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 56 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 Colonel Thorndyke's Secret by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5861 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8155 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8155, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 488 minutes of reading across 1173 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Colonel Thorndyke's Secret section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of Colonel Thorndyke's Secret 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 Colonel Thorndyke's Secret, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
