Chapter 3 of Mr. Jacobs is here in full — 14 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Mr. Jacobs is here in full — 14 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Having tiffined, we reclined upon a divan. "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better." I smoked in silence. "A hint for the _Calcutta Jackal_," I thought, with satisfaction. "Bigamy raised to the third power."
Chapter 3 of Mr. Jacobs is here in full — 14 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/2 · 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.
the largest city in India and one of the largest cities in the world; located in eastern India; suffers from poverty and overcrowding
a long backless sofa (usually with pillows against a wall)
From this reading “Having tiffined, we reclined upon a divan.”
an indirect suggestion
From this reading “"A hint for the _Calcutta Jackal_," I thought, with satisfaction.”
Old World nocturnal canine mammal closely related to the dog; smaller than a wolf; sometimes hunts in a pack but usually singly or as a member of a pair
English writer of macabre short stories (1863-1943)
From this reading “"My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."”
past form of “recline” — move the upper body backwards and down
From this reading “Having tiffined, we reclined upon a divan.”
the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation
From this reading “"A hint for the _Calcutta Jackal_," I thought, with satisfaction.”
(used especially of meats and fish) dried and cured by hanging in wood smoke
From this reading “I smoked in silence.”
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 “Having tiffined, we reclined upon a divan.”
In this reading “Having tiffined, we reclined upon a divan.”
In this reading “I smoked in silence.”
In this reading “"A hint for the _Calcutta Jackal_," I thought, with satisfaction.”
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 Having tiffined, we reclined upon a divan.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
the state of having two spouses at the same time
From this reading "Bigamy raised to the third power."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
the largest city in India and one of the largest cities in the world; located in eastern India; suffers from poverty and overcrowding
From this reading "A hint for the _Calcutta Jackal_," I thought, with satisfaction.
a long backless sofa (usually with pillows against a wall)
From this reading Having tiffined, we reclined upon a divan.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "A hint for the _Calcutta Jackal_," I thought, with satisfaction.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Having tiffined, we reclined upon a divan.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
an indirect suggestion
From this reading "A hint for the _Calcutta Jackal_," I thought, with satisfaction.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I smoked in silence.
Old World nocturnal canine mammal closely related to the dog; smaller than a wolf; sometimes hunts in a pack but usually singly or as a member of a pair
From this reading "A hint for the _Calcutta Jackal_," I thought, with satisfaction.
English writer of macabre short stories (1863-1943)
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
a form of address for a man
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
possession of controlling influence
From this reading "Bigamy raised to the third power."
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
past form of “recline” — move the upper body backwards and down
From this reading Having tiffined, we reclined upon a divan.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation
From this reading "A hint for the _Calcutta Jackal_," I thought, with satisfaction.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading I smoked in silence.
(used especially of meats and fish) dried and cured by hanging in wood smoke
From this reading I smoked in silence.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "A hint for the _Calcutta Jackal_," I thought, with satisfaction.
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading "Bigamy raised to the third power."
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "A hint for the _Calcutta Jackal_," I thought, with satisfaction.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having tiffined, we reclined upon a divan.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Having tiffined, we reclined upon a divan.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Having tiffined, we reclined upon a divan.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "A hint for the _Calcutta Jackal_," I thought, with satisfaction.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "My father," said Mr. Jacobs, "had but one wife; I have already raised him two, as I told you, and mean to go him one better."
Chapter 3 of Mr. Jacobs by Arlo Bates holds 14 sentences, grouped into 3 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 3 holds 14 sentences of Mr. Jacobs, unabridged, divided into 3 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Mr. Jacobs by Arlo Bates exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 14 sentences, grouped into 3 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 3 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 3 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 3 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 Mr. Jacobs by Arlo Bates on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 214 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41125 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #41125, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 17 minutes of reading across 43 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mr. Jacobs section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Mr. Jacobs 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 Mr. Jacobs, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
