Muckle John

Chapter XIII

Chapter 13 of Muckle John is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Frederick Watson • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.

The precious paper entrusted to him by Dr. Cameron, full of he knew not what vital news and directions regarding the hidden treasure, had been stolen, but worse still by an unknown hand.

It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.

But Rob had not even that poor satisfaction.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter XIII Reading 1/35

Muckle John

Chapter XIII

Chapter 13 of Muckle John is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

/ɪn ðə hændz ʌv ðə duːk tuː rɑːb ðə wɜːrld hæd ˈsʌdənli ˈfɑːlən ˈveri ˈhoʊpləs ənd fərˈlɔːrn/

Line 2

By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.

/baɪ noʊ kənˈspɪrəsi ʌv feɪt kʊd ˈmætərz hæv wɜːrkt aʊt mɔːr tuː hɪz ənˈduːɪŋ/

Line 3

The precious paper entrusted to him by Dr. Cameron, full of he knew not what vital news and directions regarding the hidden treasure, had been stolen, but worse still by an unknown hand.

Line 4

It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.

/ɪt ɪz ˈkʌmfərtɪŋ ɪn ə ˈdrɪri weɪ tuː noʊ huː hæz pleɪd ðə θiːf/

Line 5

But Rob had not even that poor satisfaction.

/bʌt rɑːb hæd nɑːt ˈiːvɪn ðæt puːr ˌsætəˈsfækʃən/

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.

comforting adjective US /ˈkʌmfərtɪŋ/

providing freedom from worry

From this reading “It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.”

conspiracy noun US /kənˈspɪrəsi/

a secret agreement between two or more people to perform an unlawful act

From this reading “By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.”

dreary adjective US /ˈdrɪri/

lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise

From this reading “It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.”

entrusted verb US /enˈtrʌstɪd/

past form of “entrust” — confer a trust upon

From this reading “The precious paper entrusted to him by Dr. Cameron, full of he knew not what vital news and directions regarding the hidden treasure, had been stolen, but worse still by an unknown hand.”

forlorn adjective US /fərˈlɔːrn/

marked by or showing hopelessness

From this reading “IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.”

thief noun US /θiːf/

a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it

From this reading “It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.”

undoing noun US /ənˈduːɪŋ/

an act that makes a previous act of no effect (as if not done)

From this reading “By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.”

vital adjective US /ˈvaɪtəl/

urgently needed; absolutely necessary

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

hidden treasure adjective + noun

In this reading “The precious paper entrusted to him by Dr. Cameron, full of he knew not what vital news and directions regarding the hidden treasure, had been stolen, but worse still by an unknown hand.”

worked out verb + adjective counted as “work out”

come up with

In this reading “By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The precious paper entrusted to him by Dr. Cameron, full of he knew not what vital news and directions regarding the hidden treasure, had been stolen, but worse still by an unknown hand.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.

Cameron

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

comfortingadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtɪŋ/

providing freedom from worry

From this reading It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.

conspiracynounUS /kənˈspɪrəsi/

a secret agreement between two or more people to perform an unlawful act

From this reading By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.

directionsnounUS /dərˈekʃənz/

plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point

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

drearyadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪri/

lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise

From this reading It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.

DUKEnounUS /duːk/

a British peer of the highest rank

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

entrustedverbUS /enˈtrʌstɪd/

past form of “entrust” — confer a trust upon

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading But Rob had not even that poor satisfaction.

fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

FatenounUS /feɪt/

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.

forlornadjectiveUS /fərˈlɔːrn/

marked by or showing hopelessness

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

HANDSnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

hiddenadjectiveUS /ˈhɪdən/

not accessible to view

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.

hopelessadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊpləs/

without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.

mattersnounUS /ˈmætərz/

plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern

From this reading By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

playedadjectiveUS /pleɪd/

(of games) engaged in

From this reading It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading But Rob had not even that poor satisfaction.

preciousadjectiveUS /ˈpreʃəs/

characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for

regardingverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ/

-ing form of “regard” — deem to be

RobverbUS /rɑːb/

take something away by force or without the consent of the owner

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

satisfactionnounUS /ˌsætəˈsfækʃən/

the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation

From this reading But Rob had not even that poor satisfaction.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

stolenverbUS /ˈstoʊlən/

inflected form of “steal” — take without the owner's consent

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But Rob had not even that poor satisfaction.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

thiefnounUS /θiːf/

a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it

From this reading It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

treasurenounUS /ˈtreʒər/

accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.

undoingnounUS /ənˈduːɪŋ/

an act that makes a previous act of no effect (as if not done)

From this reading By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.

unknownadjectiveUS /ənˈnoʊn/

not known

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

vitaladjectiveUS /ˈvaɪtəl/

urgently needed; absolutely necessary

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It is comforting in a dreary way to know who has played the thief.

workedverbUS /wɜːrkt/

past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading By no conspiracy of Fate could matters have worked out more to his undoing.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading IN THE HANDS OF THE DUKE To Rob the world had suddenly fallen very hopeless and forlorn.

worseadjectiveUS /wɜːrs/

(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability

Chapter 13 of Muckle John by Frederick Watson holds 175 sentences, grouped into 35 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 13 of Muckle John contain?

Chapter 13 holds 175 sentences of Muckle John, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of Muckle John by Frederick Watson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 175 sentences, grouped into 35 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 13 of Muckle John?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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.

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Chapter XIII

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