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Dialstone Lane, Part 3.
Dialstone Lane, Part 3.

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Dialstone Lane, Part 3. is here in full — 191 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Dialstone Lane, Part 3.
Context Illustration Reading 1/38 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.
"_H'm?_" said the captain, with a guilty start.
"You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.
"I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.
If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.
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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.

Dialstone Lane, Part 3.

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Dialstone Lane, Part 3. is here in full — 191 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/38 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.
Line 2
"_H'm?_" said the captain, with a guilty start.
Line 3
"You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.
Line 4
"I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.
/aɪ wɑːz ˈθɪŋkɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðæt mæn ðæt wɑːz hiːr ðɪs ˈmɔːrnɪŋ sed ðə ˈkæptən ˈsloʊli ˈtraɪɪŋ tuː ˈfɪɡjər ɪt aʊt/
Line 5
If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.

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.

ale noun US /eɪl/

a general name for beer made with a top fermenting yeast; in some of the United States an ale is (by law) a brew of more than 4% alcohol by volume

From this reading “If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.”

draught noun US /dræft/

a serving of drink (usually alcoholic) drawn from a keg

From this reading “If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.”

guilty adjective US /ˈɡɪlti/

responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act

From this reading “"_H'm?_" said the captain, with a guilty start.”

niece noun US /niːs/

a daughter of your brother or sister

From this reading “"You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.”

Penny noun US /ˈpeni/

a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound

From this reading “"Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.”

scowling adjective US /ˈskaʊlɪŋ/

sullen or unfriendly in appearance

From this reading “"You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.”

solemnly adverb US /ˈsɔːləmli/

in a grave and sedate manner

From this reading “If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.”

turns noun US /tɜːrnz/

plural of “turn” — a circular segment of a curve

From this reading “"You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.”

All words in this reading · 67

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading "_H'm?_" said the captain, with a guilty start.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

alenounUS /eɪl/

a general name for beer made with a top fermenting yeast; in some of the United States an ale is (by law) a brew of more than 4% alcohol by volume

From this reading If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading "You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.

captainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading "_H'm?_" said the captain, with a guilty start.

departurenounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

the act of departing

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

draughtnounUS /dræft/

a serving of drink (usually alcoholic) drawn from a keg

From this reading If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.

Drewitt

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

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading "You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.

guiltyadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪlti/

responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act

From this reading "_H'm?_" said the captain, with a guilty start.

H'm

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

From this reading "_H'm?_" said the captain, with a guilty start.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

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

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading "You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading "You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

niecenounUS /niːs/

a daughter of your brother or sister

From this reading "You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

PennynounUS /ˈpeni/

a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

scowlingadjectiveUS /ˈskaʊlɪŋ/

sullen or unfriendly in appearance

From this reading "You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.

Selina

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

From this reading If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.

shooknounUS /ʃʊk/

a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment

From this reading If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.

slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

smilingnounUS /ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/

a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading "You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.

solemnlyadverbUS /ˈsɔːləmli/

in a grave and sedate manner

From this reading If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.

startverbUS /stɑːrt/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading "_H'm?_" said the captain, with a guilty start.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

thinkingnounUS /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading If I thought that that girl Selina----" He took a draught of ale and shook his head solemnly.

tryingadjectiveUS /ˈtraɪɪŋ/

hard to endure

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

turnsnounUS /tɜːrnz/

plural of “turn” — a circular segment of a curve

From this reading "You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

unclenounUS /ˈʌŋkəl/

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

Vickers

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

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "I was thinking about that man that was here this morning," said the captain, slowly; "trying to figure it out.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "_H'm?_" said the captain, with a guilty start.

You've

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

From this reading "You've been scowling and smiling by turns for the last five minutes," said his niece.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Penny for your thoughts, uncle," said Miss Drewitt, as they sat at dinner an hour or two after the departure of Mr. Vickers.

Chapter 1 of Dialstone Lane, Part 3. by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs holds 191 sentences, grouped into 39 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 1 of Dialstone Lane, Part 3. contain?

Chapter 1 holds 191 sentences of Dialstone Lane, Part 3., unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Dialstone Lane, Part 3. by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 191 sentences, grouped into 39 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 1 of Dialstone Lane, Part 3.?

Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 39 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Dialstone Lane, Part 3.

Common questions about reading Dialstone Lane, Part 3. by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Dialstone Lane, Part 3.?

Yes. All 720 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11973 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Dialstone Lane, Part 3. is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #11973, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Dialstone Lane, Part 3. take to read?

About 60 minutes of reading across 144 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Dialstone Lane, Part 3. section by section

How to work through Dialstone Lane, Part 3. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of Dialstone Lane, Part 3. 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 Dialstone Lane, Part 3.

Words and structures a reader meets early in Dialstone Lane, Part 3., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Penny
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dialstone Lane, Part 3.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thoughts
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dialstone Lane, Part 3.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Uncle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dialstone Lane, Part 3.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Drewitt
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dialstone Lane, Part 3.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.