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Tales of Terror and Mystery
Tales of Terror and Mystery

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Tales of Terror and Mystery is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Tales of Terror and Mystery
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.
I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.
He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.
He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were absolutely the same.
Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.
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Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tales of Terror and Mystery

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Tales of Terror and Mystery is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
"My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.
Line 2
I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.
Line 3
He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.
Line 4
He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were absolutely the same.
Line 5
Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

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.

Same adjective US /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading “He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were absolutely the same.”

All words in this reading · 90

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.

a

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

absolutely

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

From this reading He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were absolutely the same.

after

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

From this reading "My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.

an

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

and

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

arrived

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

From this reading "My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.

at

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

bed

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

been

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

between

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

boyhood

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

brother

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

From this reading "My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.

brought

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

but

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

From this reading He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were absolutely the same.

clean-shaven

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

dark

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

From this reading He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were absolutely the same.

disgrace

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

driven

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

eye

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

From this reading He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were absolutely the same.

face

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

features

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

From this reading He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were absolutely the same.

footstep

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

for

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

from

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

glass

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

gone

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

gravel

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

great

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

had

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

He

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

heard

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

himself

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

From this reading "My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.

his

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

honourable

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

I

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

in

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

instant

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

it

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

knew

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

land

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

later

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

letter

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

From this reading "My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.

like

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

long

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

From this reading "My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.

looking

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

man

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

me

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

My

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

From this reading "My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.

myself

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

name

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

native

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

night

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

From this reading "My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.

not

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

From this reading "My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.

of

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

From this reading "My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.

one

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

From this reading "My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.

our

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

From this reading He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were absolutely the same.

outside

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

over

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

From this reading He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were absolutely the same.

own

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

patch

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

From this reading He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were absolutely the same.

receipt

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

From this reading "My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.

reflection

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

resemblance

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were absolutely the same.

sardonic

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

saw

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

servants

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

sitting

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

smiled

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

so

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

still

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

study

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

that

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

the

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

From this reading "My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.

Then

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

thought

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

through

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

to

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

trick

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

upon

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

us

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

From this reading He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the glass.

very

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

From this reading "My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of the letter.

was

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

way

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

were

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

From this reading He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were absolutely the same.

what

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

when

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

which

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

who

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

From this reading Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what had been an honourable name.

window

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

From this reading I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant later I saw his face looking in at me through the window.

Chapter 21 of Tales of Terror and Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle holds 176 sentences, grouped into 36 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 21 of Tales of Terror and Mystery contain?

Chapter 21 holds 176 sentences of Tales of Terror and Mystery, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of Tales of Terror and Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 176 sentences, grouped into 36 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 21 of Tales of Terror and Mystery?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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.

Questions about reading Tales of Terror and Mystery

Common questions about reading Tales of Terror and Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tales of Terror and Mystery?

Yes. All 3999 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #537 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tales of Terror and Mystery is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #537, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tales of Terror and Mystery take to read?

About 333 minutes of reading across 800 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tales of Terror and Mystery section by section

How to work through Tales of Terror and Mystery section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of Tales of Terror and Mystery to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Tales of Terror and Mystery

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tales of Terror and Mystery, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Horror
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales of Terror and Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Heights
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales of Terror and Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Leather
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales of Terror and Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Funnel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales of Terror and Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.