Chapter 3 of Murder in Black Letter is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Murder in Black Letter is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"That was a real dogfight those two had." Kintyre shook his head admiringly. "Never mind that now. Have you any information on Bruce's later movements?" "Why, Friday he and I were both working hard.
Chapter 3 of Murder in Black Letter is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
with admiration
From this reading “Kintyre shook his head admiringly.”
possessive form of “bruce” — Australian physician and bacteriologist who described the bacterium that causes undulant fever or brucellosis (1855-1931)
From this reading “Have you any information on Bruce's later movements?"”
a fiercely disputed contest
From this reading “"That was a real dogfight those two had."”
the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day
From this reading “"Why, Friday he and I were both working hard.”
a message received and understood
From this reading “Have you any information on Bruce's later movements?"”
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading “Have you any information on Bruce's later movements?"”
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading “Kintyre shook his head admiringly.”
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading “"Why, Friday he and I were both working hard.”
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 “Have you any information on Bruce's later movements?"”
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 "That was a real dogfight those two had."
with admiration
From this reading Kintyre shook his head admiringly.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Why, Friday he and I were both working hard.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Have you any information on Bruce's later movements?"
the two together, not just one
From this reading "Why, Friday he and I were both working hard.
possessive form of “bruce” — Australian physician and bacteriologist who described the bacterium that causes undulant fever or brucellosis (1855-1931)
From this reading Have you any information on Bruce's later movements?"
a fiercely disputed contest
From this reading "That was a real dogfight those two had."
the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day
From this reading "Why, Friday he and I were both working hard.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "That was a real dogfight those two had."
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading "Why, Friday he and I were both working hard.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Have you any information on Bruce's later movements?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Why, Friday he and I were both working hard.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Kintyre shook his head admiringly.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Kintyre shook his head admiringly.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Why, Friday he and I were both working hard.
a message received and understood
From this reading Have you any information on Bruce's later movements?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Kintyre shook his head admiringly.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Have you any information on Bruce's later movements?"
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading "Never mind that now.
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading Have you any information on Bruce's later movements?"
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Never mind that now.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Never mind that now.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Have you any information on Bruce's later movements?"
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading "That was a real dogfight those two had."
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading Kintyre shook his head admiringly.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "That was a real dogfight those two had."
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading "That was a real dogfight those two had."
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "That was a real dogfight those two had."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "That was a real dogfight those two had."
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Why, Friday he and I were both working hard.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, Friday he and I were both working hard.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading "Why, Friday he and I were both working hard.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Have you any information on Bruce's later movements?"
Chapter 3 of Murder in Black Letter by Poul Anderson holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 403 sentences of Murder in Black Letter, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Murder in Black Letter by Poul Anderson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 Murder in Black Letter by Poul Anderson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5289 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59369 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #59369, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 440 minutes of reading across 1058 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Murder in Black Letter section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of Murder in Black Letter 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 Murder in Black Letter, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
