Chapter 17 of "Persons Unknown" is here in full — 362 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of "Persons Unknown" is here in full — 362 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PRESTO CHANGE: "OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME!" Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box. "But are you sure, Joe?" he asked. "Could you swear to it?" "Sure I could!
Chapter 17 of "Persons Unknown" is here in full — 362 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/72 · 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 (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading “Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.”
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading “PRESTO CHANGE: "OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME!"”
plural of “cover” — a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something
From this reading “PRESTO CHANGE: "OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME!"”
granted exemption
From this reading “Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.”
English lyric poet (1591-1674)
From this reading “Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.”
Apostle and patron saint of Ireland; an English missionary to Ireland in the 5th century
From this reading “Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.”
suddenly
From this reading “PRESTO CHANGE: "OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME!"”
utter obscenities or profanities
From this reading “"Could you swear to it?"”
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.
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "But are you sure, Joe?" he asked.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "But are you sure, Joe?" he asked.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But are you sure, Joe?" he asked.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading PRESTO CHANGE: "OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME!"
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "Could you swear to it?"
plural of “cover” — a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something
From this reading PRESTO CHANGE: "OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME!"
granted exemption
From this reading Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "But are you sure, Joe?" he asked.
English lyric poet (1591-1674)
From this reading Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Sure I could!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Could you swear to it?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading PRESTO CHANGE: "OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME!"
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading PRESTO CHANGE: "OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME!"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading PRESTO CHANGE: "OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME!"
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading PRESTO CHANGE: "OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME!"
Apostle and patron saint of Ireland; an English missionary to Ireland in the 5th century
From this reading Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.
suddenly
From this reading PRESTO CHANGE: "OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME!"
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "But are you sure, Joe?" he asked.
utter obscenities or profanities
From this reading "Could you swear to it?"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading PRESTO CHANGE: "OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME!"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading PRESTO CHANGE: "OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME!"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Herrick excused himself to Mrs. Hope and followed Joe Patrick out of the box.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "But are you sure, Joe?" he asked.
Chapter 17 of "Persons Unknown" by Virginia, -1946 Tracy holds 362 sentences, grouped into 73 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 17 holds 362 sentences of "Persons Unknown", unabridged, divided into 73 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of "Persons Unknown" by Virginia, -1946 Tracy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 362 sentences, grouped into 73 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 73 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 73 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 "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.
