Chapter 17 of Jane Cable is here in full — 323 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Jane Cable is here in full — 323 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE VISIT OF HARBERT "It's Harbert," said Elias Droom. "Why didn't you say to him that I am busy? I don't want to see him," said his employer in a sharp undertone. Droom's long finger was on his lips, enjoining silence. "He said that you wouldn't want to see him, but that it didn't make any difference.
Chapter 17 of Jane Cable is here in full — 323 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/64 · 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.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading “"Why didn't you say to him that I am busy?”
the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading “"He said that you wouldn't want to see him, but that it didn't make any difference.”
plural of “elia” — English essayist (1775-1834)
From this reading “THE VISIT OF HARBERT "It's Harbert," said Elias Droom.”
a person or firm that employs workers
From this reading “I don't want to see him," said his employer in a sharp undertone.”
(law) a judicial remedy issued in order to prohibit a party from doing or continuing to do a certain activity
From this reading “Droom's long finger was on his lips, enjoining silence.”
feel or handle with the fingers
From this reading “Droom's long finger was on his lips, enjoining silence.”
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading “I don't want to see him," said his employer in a sharp undertone.”
a quiet or hushed tone of voice
From this reading “I don't want to see him," said his employer in a sharp undertone.”
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 I don't want to see him," said his employer in a sharp undertone.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "Why didn't you say to him that I am busy?
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "He said that you wouldn't want to see him, but that it didn't make any difference.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading "Why didn't you say to him that I am busy?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "He said that you wouldn't want to see him, but that it didn't make any difference.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why didn't you say to him that I am busy?
the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading "He said that you wouldn't want to see him, but that it didn't make any difference.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don't want to see him," said his employer in a sharp undertone.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE VISIT OF HARBERT "It's Harbert," said Elias Droom.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Droom's long finger was on his lips, enjoining silence.
plural of “elia” — English essayist (1775-1834)
From this reading THE VISIT OF HARBERT "It's Harbert," said Elias Droom.
a person or firm that employs workers
From this reading I don't want to see him," said his employer in a sharp undertone.
(law) a judicial remedy issued in order to prohibit a party from doing or continuing to do a certain activity
From this reading Droom's long finger was on his lips, enjoining silence.
feel or handle with the fingers
From this reading Droom's long finger was on his lips, enjoining silence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE VISIT OF HARBERT "It's Harbert," said Elias Droom.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "He said that you wouldn't want to see him, but that it didn't make any difference.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Why didn't you say to him that I am busy?
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I don't want to see him," said his employer in a sharp undertone.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Why didn't you say to him that I am busy?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I don't want to see him," said his employer in a sharp undertone.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "He said that you wouldn't want to see him, but that it didn't make any difference.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE VISIT OF HARBERT "It's Harbert," said Elias Droom.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Droom's long finger was on his lips, enjoining silence.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Droom's long finger was on his lips, enjoining silence.
engage in
From this reading "He said that you wouldn't want to see him, but that it didn't make any difference.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE VISIT OF HARBERT "It's Harbert," said Elias Droom.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Droom's long finger was on his lips, enjoining silence.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading THE VISIT OF HARBERT "It's Harbert," said Elias Droom.
express in words
From this reading "Why didn't you say to him that I am busy?
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I don't want to see him," said his employer in a sharp undertone.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading I don't want to see him," said his employer in a sharp undertone.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Droom's long finger was on his lips, enjoining silence.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Why didn't you say to him that I am busy?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE VISIT OF HARBERT "It's Harbert," said Elias Droom.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Why didn't you say to him that I am busy?
a quiet or hushed tone of voice
From this reading I don't want to see him," said his employer in a sharp undertone.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading THE VISIT OF HARBERT "It's Harbert," said Elias Droom.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading I don't want to see him," said his employer in a sharp undertone.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Droom's long finger was on his lips, enjoining silence.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why didn't you say to him that I am busy?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He said that you wouldn't want to see him, but that it didn't make any difference.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Why didn't you say to him that I am busy?
Chapter 17 of Jane Cable by George Barr McCutcheon holds 323 sentences, grouped into 65 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 17 holds 323 sentences of Jane Cable, unabridged, divided into 65 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Jane Cable by George Barr McCutcheon exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 323 sentences, grouped into 65 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 65 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 65 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 17 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 Jane Cable by George Barr McCutcheon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6250 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5971 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5971, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 520 minutes of reading across 1250 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Jane Cable section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 33 chapters of Jane Cable 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 Jane Cable, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
