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Tattered Tom
Tattered Tom

Chapter XXII · The Lawyer and His Client

Chapter XXII of Tattered Tom, “The Lawyer and His Client,” is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Tattered Tom
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.
His clerk being absent, he arose and opened it.
A lady stood before him.
Will you enter, madam?” he said.
Is this Mr. Selwyn?” she asked.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tattered Tom

Chapter XXII · The Lawyer and His Client

Chapter XXII of Tattered Tom, “The Lawyer and His Client,” is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.
Line 2
His clerk being absent, he arose and opened it.
/hɪz klɜːrk ˈbiːɪŋ ˈæbsənt hiː ərˈoʊz ənd ˈoʊpənd ɪt/
Line 3
A lady stood before him.
/ə ˈleɪdi stʊd bɪˈfɔːr hɪm/
Line 4
Will you enter, madam?” he said.
/wɪl juː ˈentər ˈmædəm hiː sed/
Line 5
Is this Mr. Selwyn?” she asked.

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.

absent adjective US /ˈæbsənt/

not being in a specified place

From this reading “His clerk being absent, he arose and opened it.”

clerk noun US /klɜːrk/

an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

From this reading “His clerk being absent, he arose and opened it.”

introduced verb US /ˌɪntrəˈduːst/

past form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally

From this reading “Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.”

knock verb US /nɑːk/

deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading “Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.”

lawyer noun US /ˈlɔːjər/

a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice

From this reading “Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.”

madam noun US /ˈmædəm/

a woman of refinement

From this reading ““Will you enter, madam?” he said.”

pile noun US /paɪl/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading “Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.”

reader noun US /ˈriːdər/

a person who enjoys reading

From this reading “Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

stood before verb + particle

In this reading “A lady stood before him.”

at the door preposition + article + noun counted as “at … door”

In this reading “Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.”

All words in this reading · 47

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

absentadjectiveUS /ˈæbsənt/

not being in a specified place

From this reading His clerk being absent, he arose and opened it.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading His clerk being absent, he arose and opened it.

aroseverbUS /ərˈoʊz/

inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape

From this reading His clerk being absent, he arose and opened it.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “Is this Mr. Selwyn?” she asked.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading His clerk being absent, he arose and opened it.

clerknounUS /klɜːrk/

an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

From this reading His clerk being absent, he arose and opened it.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

enterverbUS /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading “Will you enter, madam?” he said.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading His clerk being absent, he arose and opened it.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

introducedverbUS /ˌɪntrəˈduːst/

past form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading “Is this Mr. Selwyn?” she asked.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading His clerk being absent, he arose and opened it.

knockverbUS /nɑːk/

deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading A lady stood before him.

lawyernounUS /ˈlɔːjər/

a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

madamnounUS /ˈmædəm/

a woman of refinement

From this reading “Will you enter, madam?” he said.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading His clerk being absent, he arose and opened it.

papersnounUS /ˈpeɪpərz/

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

pilenounUS /paɪl/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

readernounUS /ˈriːdər/

a person who enjoys reading

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Will you enter, madam?” he said.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

Selwyn

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

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “Is this Mr. Selwyn?” she asked.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading A lady stood before him.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading “Is this Mr. Selwyn?” she asked.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

Willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading “Will you enter, madam?” he said.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Mr. Selwyn, the lawyer who has already been introduced to the reader, sat in his office with a pile of papers before him, when a knock was heard at the door.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Will you enter, madam?” he said.

Chapter 22 of Tattered Tom by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 116 sentences, grouped into 24 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.

What does chapter 22 of Tattered Tom contain?

Chapter 22 holds 116 sentences of Tattered Tom, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 22 of Tattered Tom by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 116 sentences, grouped into 24 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 22 of Tattered Tom?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 22 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 22 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 Tattered Tom

Common questions about reading Tattered Tom by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tattered Tom?

Yes. All 3613 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54006 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tattered Tom is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #54006, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tattered Tom take to read?

About 301 minutes of reading across 723 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tattered Tom section by section

How to work through Tattered Tom section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of Tattered Tom 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 Tattered Tom

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tattered Tom, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Introduces
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tattered Tom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tattered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tattered Tom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Frederic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tattered Tom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pelham
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tattered Tom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.