Chapter 7 of "Persons Unknown" is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of "Persons Unknown" is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MRS. WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind. Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation. But one thing was clear. Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
Chapter 7 of "Persons Unknown" is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
a formal charge of wrongdoing brought against a person; the act of imputing blame or guilt
From this reading “Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.”
a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)
From this reading “Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.”
the status of being a champion
From this reading “Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.”
lacking definite form or limits
From this reading “WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.”
English lyric poet (1591-1674)
From this reading “Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.”
an inquiry into the cause of an unexpected death
From this reading “WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.”
the anxious feeling you have when you have the jitters
From this reading “Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.”
people who have been slain (as in battle)
From this reading “Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.”
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 “Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.”
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 WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
a formal charge of wrongdoing brought against a person; the act of imputing blame or guilt
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But one thing was clear.
the status of being a champion
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
rid of obstructions
From this reading But one thing was clear.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
lacking definite form or limits
From this reading WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
English lyric poet (1591-1674)
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
an inquiry into the cause of an unexpected death
From this reading WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
immediately past
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading MRS.
easily agitated
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
the anxious feeling you have when you have the jitters
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But one thing was clear.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
people who have been slain (as in battle)
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
plural of “tell” — a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer
From this reading WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
a special situation
From this reading But one thing was clear.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Christina Hope had slain Evadne and closed his mouth to Sal; but, at last, he was to see her, face to face.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading Herrick was nervous, and he could not be sure whether this nervousness sprang from the ardor of championship or accusation.
disposed or inclined toward
From this reading WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
in the company of; together with
From this reading WILLING TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS The morning of the inquest was cloudy, with a wet wind.
Chapter 7 of "Persons Unknown" by Virginia, -1946 Tracy holds 202 sentences, grouped into 41 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 7 holds 202 sentences of "Persons Unknown", unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of "Persons Unknown" by Virginia, -1946 Tracy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 202 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 7 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 "Persons Unknown" by Virginia, -1946 Tracy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9652 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37545 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #37545, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1931 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through "Persons Unknown" section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of "Persons Unknown" 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 "Persons Unknown", each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
