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Jack O' Judgment
Jack O' Judgment

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Jack O' Judgment is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Edgar Wallace • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Jack O' Judgment
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE COLONEL EMPLOYS A DETECTIVE Their prisoner was a stranger.
He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.
Crewe locked the door.
"Now then," said the colonel, "what the devil were you doing listening at my door?
Was that his game, Mr. Silva?"
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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.

Jack O' Judgment

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Jack O' Judgment is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE COLONEL EMPLOYS A DETECTIVE Their prisoner was a stranger.
/ðə ˈkɜːrnəl emˈplɔɪz ə dɪˈtektɪv ðer ˈprɪzənər wɑːz ə ˈstreɪndʒər/
Line 2
He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.
Line 3
Crewe locked the door.
Line 4
"Now then," said the colonel, "what the devil were you doing listening at my door?
/naʊ ðen sed ðə ˈkɜːrnəl wʌt ðə ˈdevəl wɜːr juː ˈduːɪŋ ˈlɪsənɪŋ æt maɪ dɔːr/
Line 5
Was that his game, Mr. Silva?"
/wɑːz ðæt hɪz ɡeɪm ˈmɪstər ˈsɪlvə/

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.

detective noun US /dɪˈtektɪv/

a police officer who investigates crimes

From this reading “THE COLONEL EMPLOYS A DETECTIVE Their prisoner was a stranger.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
distinguishing verb US /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃɪŋ/

-ing form of “distinguish” — mark as different

From this reading “He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
employs noun US /emˈplɔɪz/

plural of “employ” — the state of being employed or having a job

From this reading “THE COLONEL EMPLOYS A DETECTIVE Their prisoner was a stranger.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hobby noun US /ˈhɑːbi/

an auxiliary activity

From this reading “He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lean verb US /liːn/

to incline or bend from a vertical position

From this reading “He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
respectably adverb US /riˈspektəbli/

to a tolerably worthy extent

From this reading “He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Silva noun US /ˈsɪlvə/

the forest trees growing in a country or region

From this reading “Was that his game, Mr. Silva?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thirty-five adjective US /ˈθɜːrdifaɪv/

being five more than thirty

From this reading “He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 53

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 THE COLONEL EMPLOYS A DETECTIVE Their prisoner was a stranger.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
COLONELnounUS /ˈkɜːrnəl/

a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general

From this reading THE COLONEL EMPLOYS A DETECTIVE Their prisoner was a stranger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Crewe

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

From this reading Crewe locked the door.

Pending verification
DETECTIVEnounUS /dɪˈtektɪv/

a police officer who investigates crimes

From this reading THE COLONEL EMPLOYS A DETECTIVE Their prisoner was a stranger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
devilnounUS /ˈdevəl/

(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell

From this reading "Now then," said the colonel, "what the devil were you doing listening at my door?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
distinguishingverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃɪŋ/

-ing form of “distinguish” — mark as different

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading "Now then," said the colonel, "what the devil were you doing listening at my door?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doornounUS /dɔːr/

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

From this reading Crewe locked the door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dressedadjectiveUS /drest/

dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EMPLOYSnounUS /emˈplɔɪz/

plural of “employ” — the state of being employed or having a job

From this reading THE COLONEL EMPLOYS A DETECTIVE Their prisoner was a stranger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
furtive-looking

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

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

Pending verification
gamenounUS /ɡeɪm/

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading Was that his game, Mr. Silva?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/

throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heightnounUS /haɪt/

the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Was that his game, Mr. Silva?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hobbynounUS /ˈhɑːbi/

an auxiliary activity

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
humanitynounUS /hjuːˈmænɪti/

the quality of being humane

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leanverbUS /liːn/

to incline or bend from a vertical position

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
listeningnounUS /ˈlɪsənɪŋ/

the act of hearing attentively

From this reading "Now then," said the colonel, "what the devil were you doing listening at my door?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lockedverbUS /lɑːkt/

past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock

From this reading Crewe locked the door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Was that his game, Mr. Silva?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Now then," said the colonel, "what the devil were you doing listening at my door?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading "Now then," said the colonel, "what the devil were you doing listening at my door?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
prisonernounUS /ˈprɪzənər/

a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading THE COLONEL EMPLOYS A DETECTIVE Their prisoner was a stranger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
respectablyadverbUS /riˈspektəbli/

to a tolerably worthy extent

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Now then," said the colonel, "what the devil were you doing listening at my door?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SilvanounUS /ˈsɪlvə/

the forest trees growing in a country or region

From this reading Was that his game, Mr. Silva?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
socialadjectiveUS /ˈsoʊʃəl/

relating to human society and its members

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strangernounUS /ˈstreɪndʒər/

anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

From this reading THE COLONEL EMPLOYS A DETECTIVE Their prisoner was a stranger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Was that his game, Mr. Silva?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE COLONEL EMPLOYS A DETECTIVE Their prisoner was a stranger.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TheirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading THE COLONEL EMPLOYS A DETECTIVE Their prisoner was a stranger.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading "Now then," said the colonel, "what the devil were you doing listening at my door?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thirty-fiveadjectiveUS /ˈθɜːrdifaɪv/

being five more than thirty

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
unableadjectiveUS /əˈneɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE COLONEL EMPLOYS A DETECTIVE Their prisoner was a stranger.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading "Now then," said the colonel, "what the devil were you doing listening at my door?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "Now then," said the colonel, "what the devil were you doing listening at my door?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading He was a lean, furtive-looking man of thirty-five, below middle height, respectably dressed, and at first glance, the colonel, whose hobby was distinguishing at a look the social standing of humanity, was unable to place him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Now then," said the colonel, "what the devil were you doing listening at my door?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 9 of Jack O' Judgment by Edgar Wallace holds 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 9 of Jack O' Judgment contain?

Chapter 9 holds 120 sentences of Jack O' Judgment, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Jack O' Judgment by Edgar Wallace exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 9 of Jack O' Judgment?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Jack O' Judgment

Common questions about reading Jack O' Judgment by Edgar Wallace on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Jack O' Judgment?

Yes. All 5308 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24767 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Jack O' Judgment is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #24767, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Jack O' Judgment take to read?

About 442 minutes of reading across 1062 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through Jack O' Judgment 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 Jack O' Judgment

Words and structures a reader meets early in Jack O' Judgment, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Picked
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Jack O' Judgment; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Young
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Jack O' Judgment; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Called
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Jack O' Judgment; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gregory
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Jack O' Judgment; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.