Chapter 21 of Foul Play is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of Foul Play is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
HAZEL waited and listened. So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds. Something was moving on the sand very slowly and softly, but nearer and nearer. Her heart began to leap. She put out her hand instinctively to clutch Mr. Hazel; but he was too far off.
Chapter 21 of Foul Play is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 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 act of grasping
From this reading “She put out her hand instinctively to clutch Mr. Hazel; but he was too far off.”
of a light brown or yellowish brown color
From this reading “HAZEL waited and listened.”
(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War
From this reading “So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.”
as a matter of instinct
From this reading “She put out her hand instinctively to clutch Mr. Hazel; but he was too far off.”
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading “Her heart began to leap.”
of an obscure nature
From this reading “So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.”
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading “Something was moving on the sand very slowly and softly, but nearer and nearer.”
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading “So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading HAZEL waited and listened.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Her heart began to leap.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
the act of grasping
From this reading She put out her hand instinctively to clutch Mr. Hazel; but he was too far off.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading She put out her hand instinctively to clutch Mr. Hazel; but he was too far off.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading She put out her hand instinctively to clutch Mr. Hazel; but he was too far off.
of a light brown or yellowish brown color
From this reading HAZEL waited and listened.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She put out her hand instinctively to clutch Mr. Hazel; but he was too far off.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Her heart began to leap.
(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
as a matter of instinct
From this reading She put out her hand instinctively to clutch Mr. Hazel; but he was too far off.
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading Her heart began to leap.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
past form of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading HAZEL waited and listened.
in motion
From this reading Something was moving on the sand very slowly and softly, but nearer and nearer.
a form of address for a man
From this reading She put out her hand instinctively to clutch Mr. Hazel; but he was too far off.
of an obscure nature
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading Something was moving on the sand very slowly and softly, but nearer and nearer.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading She put out her hand instinctively to clutch Mr. Hazel; but he was too far off.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Something was moving on the sand very slowly and softly, but nearer and nearer.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading She put out her hand instinctively to clutch Mr. Hazel; but he was too far off.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading She put out her hand instinctively to clutch Mr. Hazel; but he was too far off.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading Something was moving on the sand very slowly and softly, but nearer and nearer.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Something was moving on the sand very slowly and softly, but nearer and nearer.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
with low volume
From this reading Something was moving on the sand very slowly and softly, but nearer and nearer.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Something was moving on the sand very slowly and softly, but nearer and nearer.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
(poetic) still or calm
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading So did Helen, and her breath came fast; for in the stilly night she heard light but mysterious sounds.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Her heart began to leap.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading She put out her hand instinctively to clutch Mr. Hazel; but he was too far off.
precisely as stated
From this reading Something was moving on the sand very slowly and softly, but nearer and nearer.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading HAZEL waited and listened.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Something was moving on the sand very slowly and softly, but nearer and nearer.
Chapter 21 of Foul Play by Charles Reade holds 163 sentences, grouped into 33 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 21 holds 163 sentences of Foul Play, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of Foul Play by Charles Reade exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 163 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 21 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 Foul Play by Charles Reade on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9633 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3702 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3702, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1927 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Foul Play section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Foul Play 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 Foul Play, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
