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Held to Answer: A Novel
Held to Answer: A Novel

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of Held to Answer: A Novel is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.
"You shall not examine the box!"
Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.
"I do not care whether you consent or not," Searle rejoined sarcastically.
"I have the key, and I have the order of court, which the vault custodian must respect.
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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.

Held to Answer: A Novel

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of Held to Answer: A Novel is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.
/ənd aɪ tel juː aɪ wɪl nɑːt rɪˈspekt ðə ˈɔːrdər ʌv ðə kɔːrt bleɪzd ðə ˈmɪnəstər/
Line 2
"You shall not examine the box!"
/juː ʃæl nɑːt ɪɡˈzæmɪn ðə bɑːks/
Line 3
Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.
Line 4
"I do not care whether you consent or not," Searle rejoined sarcastically.
Line 5
"I have the key, and I have the order of court, which the vault custodian must respect.
/aɪ hæv ðə kiː ənd aɪ hæv ðə ˈɔːrdər ʌv kɔːrt wɪtʃ ðə vɒlt kəˈstoʊdiən mʌst rɪˈspekt/

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.

blazed verb US /bleɪzd/

past form of “blaze” — shine brightly and intensively

From this reading “"And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.”

custodian noun US /kəˈstoʊdiən/

one having charge of buildings or grounds or animals

From this reading “"I have the key, and I have the order of court, which the vault custodian must respect.”

examine verb US /ɪɡˈzæmɪn/

consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning

From this reading “"You shall not examine the box!"”

minister's noun US /ˈmɪnɪstərz/

possessive form of “minister” — a person authorized to conduct religious worship

Mortimer noun US /ˈmɔːrtɪmər/

English nobleman who deposed Edward II and was executed by Edward III (1287-1330)

From this reading “Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.”

sarcastically adverb US /sɑːrˈkæstɪkli/

in a sarcastic manner

From this reading “"I do not care whether you consent or not," Searle rejoined sarcastically.”

sympathetic adjective US /ˌsɪmpəˈθetɪk/

of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system

From this reading “Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.”

vault noun US /vɒlt/

An arched structure of masonry forming a ceiling, or a secure subterranean storage room.

From this reading “"I have the key, and I have the order of court, which the vault custodian must respect.”

All words in this reading · 43

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.

althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.

blazedverbUS /bleɪzd/

past form of “blaze” — shine brightly and intensively

From this reading "And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.

bondsmen

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

From this reading Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.

boxnounUS /bɑːks/

a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

From this reading "You shall not examine the box!"

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading "I do not care whether you consent or not," Searle rejoined sarcastically.

consentnounUS /kənˈsent/

permission to do something

From this reading "I do not care whether you consent or not," Searle rejoined sarcastically.

courtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading "And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.

custodiannounUS /kəˈstoʊdiən/

one having charge of buildings or grounds or animals

From this reading "I have the key, and I have the order of court, which the vault custodian must respect.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "I do not care whether you consent or not," Searle rejoined sarcastically.

examineverbUS /ɪɡˈzæmɪn/

consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning

From this reading "You shall not examine the box!"

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "I have the key, and I have the order of court, which the vault custodian must respect.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.

JudgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.

keynounUS /kiː/

metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated

From this reading "I have the key, and I have the order of court, which the vault custodian must respect.

ministernounUS /ˈmɪnəstər/

a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading "And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.

minister'snounUS /ˈmɪnɪstərz/

possessive form of “minister” — a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.

MortimernounUS /ˈmɔːrtɪmər/

English nobleman who deposed Edward II and was executed by Edward III (1287-1330)

From this reading Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "I have the key, and I have the order of court, which the vault custodian must respect.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "I do not care whether you consent or not," Searle rejoined sarcastically.

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading "And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.

rejoinedverbUS /riˈdʒɔɪnd/

past form of “rejoin” — join again

From this reading "I do not care whether you consent or not," Searle rejoined sarcastically.

respectnounUS /rɪˈspekt/

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading "And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.

sarcasticallyadverbUS /sɑːrˈkæstɪkli/

in a sarcastic manner

From this reading "I do not care whether you consent or not," Searle rejoined sarcastically.

Searle

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

From this reading "I do not care whether you consent or not," Searle rejoined sarcastically.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "You shall not examine the box!"

showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.

startledadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtəld/

excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement

From this reading Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.

surprisedadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.

sympatheticadjectiveUS /ˌsɪmpəˈθetɪk/

of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system

From this reading Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading "And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.

vaultnounUS /vɒlt/

An arched structure of masonry forming a ceiling, or a secure subterranean storage room.

From this reading "I have the key, and I have the order of court, which the vault custodian must respect.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Judge Mortimer was startled; the bondsmen, although surprised by the minister’s show of feeling, were sympathetic.

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading "I do not care whether you consent or not," Searle rejoined sarcastically.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading "I have the key, and I have the order of court, which the vault custodian must respect.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "And I tell you I will not respect the order of the court," blazed the minister.

Chapter 14 of Held to Answer: A Novel by Peter Clark MacFarlane holds 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 14 of Held to Answer: A Novel contain?

Chapter 14 holds 422 sentences of Held to Answer: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of Held to Answer: A Novel by Peter Clark MacFarlane exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 14 of Held to Answer: A Novel?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 Held to Answer: A Novel

Common questions about reading Held to Answer: A Novel by Peter Clark MacFarlane on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Held to Answer: A Novel?

Yes. All 8277 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44633 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Held to Answer: A Novel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #44633, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Held to Answer: A Novel take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1656 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Held to Answer: A Novel section by section

How to work through Held to Answer: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Held to Answer: A Novel

Words and structures a reader meets early in Held to Answer: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Held to Answer: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Those
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Held to Answer: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Another
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Held to Answer: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Advent
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Held to Answer: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.