Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Dangerous Ground
Dangerous Ground

Chapter XL

Chapter 40 of Dangerous Ground is here in full — 661 sentences across 133 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Lawrence L. Lynch • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Dangerous Ground
Context Illustration Reading 1/132 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HOW STANHOPE CAME BACK.
Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.
"Everybody late," he mutters, "and I hoped Follingsbee would come first."
He consults his watch, and finds that it is four o'clock.
Four o'clock, and his interviews with the lawyer, the Australian, and the Englishman, yet to come.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

Dangerous Ground

Chapter XL

Chapter 40 of Dangerous Ground is here in full — 661 sentences across 133 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/132 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HOW STANHOPE CAME BACK.
Line 2
Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.
/əˈɡen wiː ɑːr ɪn ðə ˈɔːfɪs ʌv ðə tʃiːf ʌv ðə dɪˈtektɪvz ɪn hɪz ˈpraɪvət ˈɔːfɪs wer hiː sɪts əˈloʊn ˈlʊkɪŋ bɔːrd ənd ənˈkʌmfərtəbəl/
Line 3
"Everybody late," he mutters, "and I hoped Follingsbee would come first."
Line 4
He consults his watch, and finds that it is four o'clock.
/hiː kənˈsʌlts hɪz wɑːtʃ ənd faɪndz ðæt ɪt ɪz fɔːr əˈklɑːk/
Line 5
Four o'clock, and his interviews with the lawyer, the Australian, and the Englishman, yet to come.
/fɔːr əˈklɑːk ənd hɪz ˈɪntərvjuːz wɪð ðə ˈlɔːjər ðə ɔːˈstreɪljən ənd ðə ˈɪŋɡlɪʃmən jet tuː kʌm/

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.

Australian noun US /ɔːˈstreɪljən/

a native or inhabitant of Australia

From this reading “Four o'clock, and his interviews with the lawyer, the Australian, and the Englishman, yet to come.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bored adjective US /bɔːrd/

tired of the world

From this reading “Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
consults verb US /kənˈsʌlts/

third-person singular of “consult” — get or ask advice from

From this reading “He consults his watch, and finds that it is four o'clock.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
detectives noun US /dɪˈtektɪvz/

plural of “detective” — a police officer who investigates crimes

From this reading “Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
interviews noun US /ˈɪntərvjuːz/

plural of “interview” — the questioning of a person (or a conversation in which information is elicited); often conducted by journalists

From this reading “Four o'clock, and his interviews with the lawyer, the Australian, and the Englishman, yet to come.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mutters noun US /ˈmʌtərz/

plural of “mutter” — a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech

From this reading “"Everybody late," he mutters, "and I hoped Follingsbee would come first."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sits verb US /sɪts/

third-person singular of “sit” — be seated

From this reading “Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stanhope noun US /ˈstænəp/

a light open horse-drawn carriage with two or four wheels and one seat

From this reading “HOW STANHOPE CAME BACK.”

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.

private office adjective + noun

In this reading “Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.”

2,081 times in 225,867 chapters
CAME BACK verb + particle counted as “come back”

be restored

In this reading “HOW STANHOPE CAME BACK.”

121,424 times in 225,867 chapters
interviews with verb + particle counted as “interview with”

In this reading “Four o'clock, and his interviews with the lawyer, the Australian, and the Englishman, yet to come.”

11,843 times in 225,867 chapters
sits alone verb + adjective counted as “sit alone”

In this reading “Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.”

574 times in 225,867 chapters
in the office preposition + article + noun counted as “in … office”

In this reading “Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.”

6,500 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 47

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.

AgainadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

Velmora curated lexicon
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

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 Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AustraliannounUS /ɔːˈstreɪljən/

a native or inhabitant of Australia

From this reading Four o'clock, and his interviews with the lawyer, the Australian, and the Englishman, yet to come.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BACKadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading HOW STANHOPE CAME BACK.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boredadjectiveUS /bɔːrd/

tired of the world

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CAMEverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading HOW STANHOPE CAME BACK.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ChiefnounUS /tʃiːf/

a person who is in charge

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading "Everybody late," he mutters, "and I hoped Follingsbee would come first."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
consultsverbUS /kənˈsʌlts/

third-person singular of “consult” — get or ask advice from

From this reading He consults his watch, and finds that it is four o'clock.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
detectivesnounUS /dɪˈtektɪvz/

plural of “detective” — a police officer who investigates crimes

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EnglishmannounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃmən/

a man who is a native or inhabitant of England

From this reading Four o'clock, and his interviews with the lawyer, the Australian, and the Englishman, yet to come.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EverybodypronounUS /ˈevribɑːdi/

every person

From this reading "Everybody late," he mutters, "and I hoped Follingsbee would come first."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
findsnounUS /faɪndz/

plural of “find” — a productive insight

From this reading He consults his watch, and finds that it is four o'clock.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading "Everybody late," he mutters, "and I hoped Follingsbee would come first."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Follingsbee

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

From this reading "Everybody late," he mutters, "and I hoped Follingsbee would come first."

Pending verification
fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading He consults his watch, and finds that it is four o'clock.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hopedverbUS /hoʊpt/

past form of “hope” — expect and wish

From this reading "Everybody late," he mutters, "and I hoped Follingsbee would come first."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HOW

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

From this reading HOW STANHOPE CAME BACK.

Pending verification
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Everybody late," he mutters, "and I hoped Follingsbee would come first."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
interviewsnounUS /ˈɪntərvjuːz/

plural of “interview” — the questioning of a person (or a conversation in which information is elicited); often conducted by journalists

From this reading Four o'clock, and his interviews with the lawyer, the Australian, and the Englishman, yet to come.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading He consults his watch, and finds that it is four o'clock.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He consults his watch, and finds that it is four o'clock.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading "Everybody late," he mutters, "and I hoped Follingsbee would come first."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lawyernounUS /ˈlɔːjər/

a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice

From this reading Four o'clock, and his interviews with the lawyer, the Australian, and the Englishman, yet to come.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
muttersnounUS /ˈmʌtərz/

plural of “mutter” — a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech

From this reading "Everybody late," he mutters, "and I hoped Follingsbee would come first."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading He consults his watch, and finds that it is four o'clock.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
privateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/

confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sitsverbUS /sɪts/

third-person singular of “sit” — be seated

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
STANHOPEnounUS /ˈstænəp/

a light open horse-drawn carriage with two or four wheels and one seat

From this reading HOW STANHOPE CAME BACK.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He consults his watch, and finds that it is four o'clock.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Four o'clock, and his interviews with the lawyer, the Australian, and the Englishman, yet to come.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
uncomfortableadjectiveUS /ənˈkʌmfərtəbəl/

conducive to or feeling mental discomfort

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading He consults his watch, and finds that it is four o'clock.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Again we are in the office of the Chief of the detectives; in his private office, where he sits alone, looking bored and uncomfortable.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Four o'clock, and his interviews with the lawyer, the Australian, and the Englishman, yet to come.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading "Everybody late," he mutters, "and I hoped Follingsbee would come first."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Four o'clock, and his interviews with the lawyer, the Australian, and the Englishman, yet to come.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 40 of Dangerous Ground by Lawrence L. Lynch holds 661 sentences, grouped into 133 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 40 of Dangerous Ground contain?

Chapter 40 holds 661 sentences of Dangerous Ground, unabridged, divided into 133 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 40 of Dangerous Ground by Lawrence L. Lynch exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 661 sentences, grouped into 133 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 40 of Dangerous Ground?

Work through the 133 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 133 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 40 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 40 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 Dangerous Ground

Common questions about reading Dangerous Ground by Lawrence L. Lynch on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Dangerous Ground?

Yes. All 7491 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36366 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Dangerous Ground is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36366, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Dangerous Ground take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1499 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Dangerous Ground section by section

How to work through Dangerous Ground section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Dangerous Ground to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Dangerous Ground

Words and structures a reader meets early in Dangerous Ground, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dangerous Ground; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Detective
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dangerous Ground; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dangerous Ground; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rival
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dangerous Ground; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.