Chapter 1 of Hector's Inheritance is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Hector's Inheritance is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk. “Has the mail yet arrived?” he asked. “Yes, sir; John has just come back from the village.” “Go at once and bring me the letters and papers, if there are any.” John bowed and withdrew.
Chapter 1 of Hector's Inheritance is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/18 · 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.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading “Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.”
of a stringed instrument; sounded by stroking with a bow
From this reading “John bowed and withdrew.”
large and roomy (“convenient” is archaic in this sense)
From this reading “Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.”
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading “Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.”
a room where books are kept
From this reading “Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.”
the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service
From this reading ““Has the mail yet arrived?” he asked.”
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading “Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.”
inflected form of “withdraw” — pull back or move away or backward
From this reading “John bowed and withdrew.”
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 Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
react verbally
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading “Go at once and bring me the letters and papers, if there are any.”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Go at once and bring me the letters and papers, if there are any.”
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading “Has the mail yet arrived?” he asked.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Has the mail yet arrived?” he asked.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Go at once and bring me the letters and papers, if there are any.”
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading “Yes, sir; John has just come back from the village.”
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
of a stringed instrument; sounded by stroking with a bow
From this reading John bowed and withdrew.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading “Go at once and bring me the letters and papers, if there are any.”
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Yes, sir; John has just come back from the village.”
large and roomy (“convenient” is archaic in this sense)
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “Yes, sir; John has just come back from the village.”
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “Go at once and bring me the letters and papers, if there are any.”
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Has the mail yet arrived?” he asked.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Go at once and bring me the letters and papers, if there are any.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading “Yes, sir; John has just come back from the village.”
and nothing more
From this reading “Yes, sir; John has just come back from the village.”
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
the literary culture
From this reading “Go at once and bring me the letters and papers, if there are any.”
a room where books are kept
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service
From this reading “Has the mail yet arrived?” he asked.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Go at once and bring me the letters and papers, if there are any.”
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
on one occasion
From this reading “Go at once and bring me the letters and papers, if there are any.”
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading “Go at once and bring me the letters and papers, if there are any.”
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
term of address for a man
From this reading “Yes, sir; John has just come back from the village.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “Go at once and bring me the letters and papers, if there are any.”
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading “Yes, sir; John has just come back from the village.”
in or at the place that
From this reading Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library, where he sat before a large and commodious desk.
inflected form of “withdraw” — pull back or move away or backward
From this reading John bowed and withdrew.
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes, sir; John has just come back from the village.”
but in spite of that
From this reading “Has the mail yet arrived?” he asked.
Chapter 1 of Hector's Inheritance by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 90 sentences, grouped into 18 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 1 holds 90 sentences of Hector's Inheritance, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Hector's Inheritance by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 90 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 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.
Common questions about reading Hector's Inheritance by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3917 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5674 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5674, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 326 minutes of reading across 784 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Hector's Inheritance section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of Hector's Inheritance 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 Hector's Inheritance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
