Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1 is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

MY OWN DARLING,--It is nearly two o'clock in the morning.

Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

Where did I leave off in my letter?

Oh, about our old lady lodger, Mrs. Bailey, and her poor old sister.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter XVI Reading 1/21

Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1 is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

Line 2

MY OWN DARLING,--It is nearly two o'clock in the morning.

Line 3

Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

/ˈevriθɪŋ ɪz ˈkwaɪət ɪn ðə haʊs ənd aɪ kæn raɪt ɪn maɪ ˈlɪtəl ˈkʌbərd ʌv ə ˈbedruːm ðə dɔːr ʌv wɪtʃ liːdz ˈɪntuː ðə ˈkɪtʃən wɪˈθaʊt fɪr ʌv ˈbiːɪŋ dɪˈstɜːrbd/

Line 4

Where did I leave off in my letter?

/wer dɪd aɪ liːv ɔːf ɪn maɪ ˈletər/

Line 5

Oh, about our old lady lodger, Mrs. Bailey, and her poor old sister.

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.

Bailey noun US /ˈbeɪli/

United States singer (1918-1990)

From this reading “Oh, about our old lady lodger, Mrs. Bailey, and her poor old sister.”

bedroom noun US /ˈbedruːm/

a room used primarily for sleeping

From this reading “Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.”

cupboard noun US /ˈkʌbərd/

a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space

From this reading “Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.”

disturbed adjective US /dɪˈstɜːrbd/

having the place or position changed

From this reading “Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.”

leads noun US /liːdz/

plural of “lead” — an advantage held by a competitor in a race

From this reading “Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.”

liking noun US /ˈlaɪkɪŋ/

a feeling of pleasure and enjoyment

From this reading “IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.”

manx noun US /mæŋks/

the ancient Gaelic formerly spoken on the Isle of Man; the language is sometimes used on ceremonial occasions

From this reading “IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.”

writes verb US /raɪts/

third-person singular of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading “IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.”

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.

into the kitchen preposition + article + noun counted as “into … kitchen”

In this reading “Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.”

old lady adjective + noun

your own wife

In this reading “Oh, about our old lady lodger, Mrs. Bailey, and her poor old sister.”

SECOND LETTER noun + noun

In this reading “IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.”

leave off verb + particle

come to an end, stop or cease

In this reading “Where did I leave off in my letter?”

in the morning preposition + article + noun counted as “in … morning”

In this reading “MY OWN DARLING,--It is nearly two o'clock in the morning.”

IN THE COUNTRY preposition + article + noun counted as “in … country”

In this reading “IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.”

All words in this reading · 62

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 IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Oh, about our old lady lodger, Mrs. Bailey, and her poor old sister.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

BaileynounUS /ˈbeɪli/

United States singer (1918-1990)

From this reading Oh, about our old lady lodger, Mrs. Bailey, and her poor old sister.

BECKY

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

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

bedroomnounUS /ˈbedruːm/

a room used primarily for sleeping

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

COUNTRYnounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

cupboardnounUS /ˈkʌbərd/

a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

DARLINGnounUS /ˈdɑːrlɪŋ/

a special loved one

From this reading MY OWN DARLING,--It is nearly two o'clock in the morning.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Where did I leave off in my letter?

disturbedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɜːrbd/

having the place or position changed

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

EverythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

FRIENDnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

GIVESnounUS /ɡɪvz/

plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

HERdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading MY OWN DARLING,--It is nearly two o'clock in the morning.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading MY OWN DARLING,--It is nearly two o'clock in the morning.

kitchennounUS /ˈkɪtʃən/

a room equipped for preparing meals

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading Oh, about our old lady lodger, Mrs. Bailey, and her poor old sister.

leadsnounUS /liːdz/

plural of “lead” — an advantage held by a competitor in a race

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading Where did I leave off in my letter?

LETTERnounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

LIKINGnounUS /ˈlaɪkɪŋ/

a feeling of pleasure and enjoyment

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

lodgernoun

a tenant in someone's house

From this reading Oh, about our old lady lodger, Mrs. Bailey, and her poor old sister.

MANXnounUS /mæŋks/

the ancient Gaelic formerly spoken on the Isle of Man; the language is sometimes used on ceremonial occasions

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading MY OWN DARLING,--It is nearly two o'clock in the morning.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Oh, about our old lady lodger, Mrs. Bailey, and her poor old sister.

MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading MY OWN DARLING,--It is nearly two o'clock in the morning.

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading MY OWN DARLING,--It is nearly two o'clock in the morning.

NOTadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading MY OWN DARLING,--It is nearly two o'clock in the morning.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Where did I leave off in my letter?

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Oh, about our old lady lodger, Mrs. Bailey, and her poor old sister.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Oh, about our old lady lodger, Mrs. Bailey, and her poor old sister.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Oh, about our old lady lodger, Mrs. Bailey, and her poor old sister.

OWNverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading MY OWN DARLING,--It is nearly two o'clock in the morning.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading Oh, about our old lady lodger, Mrs. Bailey, and her poor old sister.

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

REASONnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

RICHARD

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

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

SECONDnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

sisternounUS /ˈsɪstər/

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading Oh, about our old lady lodger, Mrs. Bailey, and her poor old sister.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading MY OWN DARLING,--It is nearly two o'clock in the morning.

WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Where did I leave off in my letter?

WHICHpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

WOMAN'SnounUS /ˈwʊmənz/

possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

writeverbUS /raɪt/

produce a literary work

From this reading Everything is quiet in the house, and I can write in my little cupboard of a bedroom, the door of which leads into the kitchen, without fear of being disturbed.

WRITESverbUS /raɪts/

third-person singular of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading IN WHICH BECKY WRITES A SECOND LETTER TO HER FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY, AND GIVES A WOMAN'S REASON FOR NOT LIKING RICHARD MANX.

Chapter 16 of Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1 by B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon holds 106 sentences, grouped into 22 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 16 of Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1 contain?

Chapter 16 holds 106 sentences of Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1 by B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 106 sentences, grouped into 22 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 16 of Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #42905, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 232 minutes of reading across 559 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1

Words and structures a reader meets early in Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Great: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Porter: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Square: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mystery: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Great Porter Square: A Mystery. V. 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XVI

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