Chapter 4 of Room Number 3, and Other Detective Stories is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Room Number 3, and Other Detective Stories is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs. A faint streak appeared for an instant against the dark, then disappeared. Another; but no lasting light. The matches were too damp to burn. "Jake, ain't you got a match?" appealed the voice of Quimby in half-choked accents.
Chapter 4 of Room Number 3, and Other Detective Stories is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/77 · 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.
plural of “accent” — distinctive manner of oral expression
From this reading “"Jake, ain't you got a match?" appealed the voice of Quimby in half-choked accents.”
past form of “appeal” — take a court case to a higher court for review
From this reading “"Jake, ain't you got a match?" appealed the voice of Quimby in half-choked accents.”
To consume or be consumed by fire.
From this reading “The matches were too damp to burn.”
stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading “"Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.”
slightly wet
From this reading “The matches were too damp to burn.”
continuing or enduring without marked change in status or condition or place
From this reading “Another; but no lasting light.”
plural of “match” — lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction
From this reading “"Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.”
an unbroken series of events
From this reading “A faint streak appeared for an instant against the dark, then disappeared.”
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 “A faint streak appeared for an instant against the dark, then disappeared.”
In this reading “"Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.”
In this reading “A faint streak appeared for an instant against the dark, then disappeared.”
In this reading “The matches were too damp to burn.”
to come or go into
In this reading “"Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.”
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 "Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.
plural of “accent” — distinctive manner of oral expression
From this reading "Jake, ain't you got a match?" appealed the voice of Quimby in half-choked accents.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading A faint streak appeared for an instant against the dark, then disappeared.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Jake, ain't you got a match?" appealed the voice of Quimby in half-choked accents.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A faint streak appeared for an instant against the dark, then disappeared.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Another; but no lasting light.
past form of “appeal” — take a court case to a higher court for review
From this reading "Jake, ain't you got a match?" appealed the voice of Quimby in half-choked accents.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading A faint streak appeared for an instant against the dark, then disappeared.
To consume or be consumed by fire.
From this reading The matches were too damp to burn.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Another; but no lasting light.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.
stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading "Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.
slightly wet
From this reading The matches were too damp to burn.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading A faint streak appeared for an instant against the dark, then disappeared.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading A faint streak appeared for an instant against the dark, then disappeared.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading A faint streak appeared for an instant against the dark, then disappeared.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A faint streak appeared for an instant against the dark, then disappeared.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Jake, ain't you got a match?" appealed the voice of Quimby in half-choked accents.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Jake, ain't you got a match?" appealed the voice of Quimby in half-choked accents.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading "Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading A faint streak appeared for an instant against the dark, then disappeared.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Jake, ain't you got a match?" appealed the voice of Quimby in half-choked accents.
continuing or enduring without marked change in status or condition or place
From this reading Another; but no lasting light.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Another; but no lasting light.
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading "Jake, ain't you got a match?" appealed the voice of Quimby in half-choked accents.
plural of “match” — lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction
From this reading "Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.
not any; not one
From this reading Another; but no lasting light.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Jake, ain't you got a match?" appealed the voice of Quimby in half-choked accents.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Jake, ain't you got a match?" appealed the voice of Quimby in half-choked accents.
an unbroken series of events
From this reading A faint streak appeared for an instant against the dark, then disappeared.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading A faint streak appeared for an instant against the dark, then disappeared.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The matches were too damp to burn.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The matches were too damp to burn.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "Here's matches and the candle," came in a hollow voice from the trap-stairs.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The matches were too damp to burn.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Jake, ain't you got a match?" appealed the voice of Quimby in half-choked accents.
Chapter 4 of Room Number 3, and Other Detective Stories by Anna Katharine Green holds 389 sentences, grouped into 78 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 4 holds 389 sentences of Room Number 3, and Other Detective Stories, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Room Number 3, and Other Detective Stories by Anna Katharine Green exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 389 sentences, grouped into 78 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 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 78 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 4 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 Room Number 3, and Other Detective Stories by Anna Katharine Green on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5669 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31578 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31578, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 472 minutes of reading across 1134 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Room Number 3, and Other Detective Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of Room Number 3, and Other Detective Stories 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 Room Number 3, and Other Detective Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
