Chapter 23 of It Never Can Happen Again is here in full — 326 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of It Never Can Happen Again is here in full — 326 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER. HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET. A FOOL'S PASSION. WHAT ABOUT BOB? That was a very fortunate interview in the park-avenue between Challis and Miss Arkroyd.
Chapter 23 of It Never Can Happen Again is here in full — 326 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/65 · 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 soft lightweight fabric (usually printed)
From this reading “HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.”
inflected form of “eavesdrop” — listen without the speaker's knowledge
From this reading “HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.”
possessive form of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “A FOOL'S PASSION.”
having unexpected good fortune
From this reading “That was a very fortunate interview in the park-avenue between Challis and Miss Arkroyd.”
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading “HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.”
conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
From this reading “That was a very fortunate interview in the park-avenue between Challis and Miss Arkroyd.”
the philosophical study of being and knowing
From this reading “HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.”
a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading “HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.”
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.
In this reading “HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.”
In this reading “HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.”
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 HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading WHAT ABOUT BOB?
later than; following
From this reading HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading That was a very fortunate interview in the park-avenue between Challis and Miss Arkroyd.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading WHAT ABOUT BOB?
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.
a soft lightweight fabric (usually printed)
From this reading HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.
inflected form of “eavesdrop” — listen without the speaker's knowledge
From this reading HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.
possessive form of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading A FOOL'S PASSION.
having unexpected good fortune
From this reading That was a very fortunate interview in the park-avenue between Challis and Miss Arkroyd.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.
conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
From this reading That was a very fortunate interview in the park-avenue between Challis and Miss Arkroyd.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.
the philosophical study of being and knowing
From this reading HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.
a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading HOW CHALLIS HAD A NEW NEIGHBOUR AT DINNER AND METAPHYSICS AFTER.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That was a very fortunate interview in the park-avenue between Challis and Miss Arkroyd.
a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading A FOOL'S PASSION.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That was a very fortunate interview in the park-avenue between Challis and Miss Arkroyd.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading That was a very fortunate interview in the park-avenue between Challis and Miss Arkroyd.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.
precisely as stated
From this reading That was a very fortunate interview in the park-avenue between Challis and Miss Arkroyd.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading HOW HE WAS GUILTY OF EAVESDROPPING, AND MET MISS ARKROYD AFTER IN A LITTLE GARDEN CALLED TOPHET.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading WHAT ABOUT BOB?
Chapter 23 of It Never Can Happen Again by William De Morgan holds 326 sentences, grouped into 66 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.
Chapter 23 holds 326 sentences of It Never Can Happen Again, unabridged, divided into 66 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of It Never Can Happen Again by William De Morgan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 326 sentences, grouped into 66 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 66 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 66 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 23 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 It Never Can Happen Again by William De Morgan on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 19361 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46228 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #46228, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 3873 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through It Never Can Happen Again section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of It Never Can Happen Again 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 It Never Can Happen Again, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
