Chapter 10 of Desk and Debit is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter X
Chapter 10 of Desk and Debit is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IN WHICH PHIL IS PERPLEXED ABOUT CERTAIN INVOICES. "What's the matter, sir? Are you sick?" I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner. "I don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.
Chapter 10 of Desk and Debit is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
plural of “cheek” — either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading “I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.”
causing or capable of causing death
From this reading “I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.”
to a faint degree or weakly perceived
From this reading “"I don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.”
plural of “invoice” — an itemized statement of money owed for goods shipped or services rendered
From this reading “IN WHICH PHIL IS PERPLEXED ABOUT CERTAIN INVOICES.”
term of address for a disrespectful and annoying male
From this reading “I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.”
a person's partner in marriage
From this reading “I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.”
full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment
From this reading “IN WHICH PHIL IS PERPLEXED ABOUT CERTAIN INVOICES.”
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading “I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.”
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 don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL IS PERPLEXED ABOUT CERTAIN INVOICES.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Are you sick?"
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "I don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "I don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL IS PERPLEXED ABOUT CERTAIN INVOICES.
plural of “cheek” — either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.
causing or capable of causing death
From this reading I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.
to a faint degree or weakly perceived
From this reading "I don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading "I don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL IS PERPLEXED ABOUT CERTAIN INVOICES.
plural of “invoice” — an itemized statement of money owed for goods shipped or services rendered
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL IS PERPLEXED ABOUT CERTAIN INVOICES.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL IS PERPLEXED ABOUT CERTAIN INVOICES.
term of address for a disrespectful and annoying male
From this reading I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "What's the matter, sir?
a particular point in time
From this reading "I don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.
unnatural lack of color in the skin (as from bruising or sickness or emotional distress)
From this reading I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.
a person's partner in marriage
From this reading I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.
full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL IS PERPLEXED ABOUT CERTAIN INVOICES.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL IS PERPLEXED ABOUT CERTAIN INVOICES.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "I don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading "I don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading Are you sick?"
term of address for a man
From this reading "What's the matter, sir?
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading I asked, startled by the deadly pallor on the cheeks and lips of the junior partner.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "What's the matter, sir?
precisely as stated
From this reading "I don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "I don't feel very well, but I shall be better in a moment," he replied, faintly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's the matter, sir?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL IS PERPLEXED ABOUT CERTAIN INVOICES.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Are you sick?"
Chapter 10 of Desk and Debit by Oliver Optic holds 134 sentences, grouped into 27 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 10 holds 134 sentences of Desk and Debit, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of Desk and Debit by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 134 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 10 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 Desk and Debit by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4190 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24544 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24544, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 349 minutes of reading across 838 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Desk and Debit section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of Desk and Debit 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 Desk and Debit, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
