Chapter 4 of The Bartlett Mystery is here in full — 238 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Bartlett Mystery is here in full — 238 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her. An ignoble soul prompted a smirk of triumph now. "Go straight in," he said, jerking a thumb. "A cop's waitin' for you." Winifred did not vouchsafe him even an indignant glance.
Chapter 4 of The Bartlett Mystery is here in full — 238 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/47 · 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.
provoking fear terror
From this reading “FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.”
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
From this reading “FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.”
completely lacking nobility in character or quality or purpose
From this reading “An ignoble soul prompted a smirk of triumph now.”
an abrupt spasmodic movement
From this reading “"Go straight in," he said, jerking a thumb.”
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading “FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.”
past form of “prompt” — give an incentive for action
From this reading “An ignoble soul prompted a smirk of triumph now.”
smile affectedly or derisively
From this reading “An ignoble soul prompted a smirk of triumph now.”
plural of “surprise” — the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading “FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.”
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 “FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.”
In this reading “"Go straight in," he said, jerking a thumb.”
In this reading “FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.”
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 FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
later than; following
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An ignoble soul prompted a smirk of triumph now.
provoking fear terror
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "A cop's waitin' for you."
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Winifred did not vouchsafe him even an indignant glance.
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
divisible by two
From this reading Winifred did not vouchsafe him even an indignant glance.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading Winifred did not vouchsafe him even an indignant glance.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Go straight in," he said, jerking a thumb.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Go straight in," he said, jerking a thumb.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Winifred did not vouchsafe him even an indignant glance.
completely lacking nobility in character or quality or purpose
From this reading An ignoble soul prompted a smirk of triumph now.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Go straight in," he said, jerking a thumb.
angered at something unjust or wrong
From this reading Winifred did not vouchsafe him even an indignant glance.
an abrupt spasmodic movement
From this reading "Go straight in," he said, jerking a thumb.
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Winifred did not vouchsafe him even an indignant glance.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading An ignoble soul prompted a smirk of triumph now.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
past form of “prompt” — give an incentive for action
From this reading An ignoble soul prompted a smirk of triumph now.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Go straight in," he said, jerking a thumb.
smile affectedly or derisively
From this reading An ignoble soul prompted a smirk of triumph now.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading An ignoble soul prompted a smirk of triumph now.
successive (without a break)
From this reading "Go straight in," he said, jerking a thumb.
plural of “surprise” — the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb
From this reading "Go straight in," he said, jerking a thumb.
a successful ending of a struggle or contest
From this reading An ignoble soul prompted a smirk of triumph now.
grant in a condescending manner
From this reading Winifred did not vouchsafe him even an indignant glance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "A cop's waitin' for you."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
which person or people
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winifred did not vouchsafe him even an indignant glance.
in the company of; together with
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
unfulfilled or frustrated in realizing an ambition
From this reading FURTHER SURPRISES A clerk, one of the would-be swains who had met with chilling discouragement after working-hours, was evidently on the lookout for her.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "A cop's waitin' for you."
Chapter 4 of The Bartlett Mystery by Louis Tracy holds 238 sentences, grouped into 48 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 238 sentences of The Bartlett Mystery, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Bartlett Mystery by Louis Tracy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 238 sentences, grouped into 48 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 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 48 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.
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Yes. All 4959 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31949 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31949, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 413 minutes of reading across 992 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Bartlett Mystery section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of The Bartlett Mystery 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 The Bartlett Mystery, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
