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The Beetle: A Mystery
The Beetle: A Mystery

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The Beetle: A Mystery is here in full — 300 sentences across 60 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Beetle: A Mystery
Context Illustration Reading 1/60 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT Sydney!’ she cried, I’m so glad that I can see you!’
She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.
I told you that if trouble overtook me I should come to you, and--I’m in trouble now.
Such strange trouble.’
So was I,--and in perplexity as well.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Beetle: A Mystery

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The Beetle: A Mystery is here in full — 300 sentences across 60 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/60 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE TERROR IN THE NIGHTSydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’
Line 2
She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.
Line 3
I told you that if trouble overtook me I should come to you, and--I’m in trouble now.
Line 4
Such strange trouble.’
/sʌtʃ streɪndʒ ˈtrʌbəl/
Line 5
So was I,--and in perplexity as well.

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.

assert verb US /əˈsɜːrt/

state categorically

From this reading “She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.”

joy noun US /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading “She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.”

overtook verb US /ˌoʊvərˈtʊk/

inflected form of “overtake” — catch up with and possibly overtake

From this reading “‘I told you that if trouble overtook me I should come to you, and--I’m in trouble now.”

perplexity noun US /pərˈpleksəti/

trouble or confusion resulting from complexity

From this reading “So was I,--and in perplexity as well.”

scarcely adverb US /ˈskersli/

only a very short time before

From this reading “She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.”

sharer noun US /ˈʃerər/

someone who has or gives or receives a part or a share

From this reading “She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.”

Sydney noun US /ˈsɪdni/

the largest Australian city located in southeastern Australia on the Tasman Sea; state capital of New South Wales; Australia's chief port

From this reading “THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’”

terror noun US /ˈterər/

an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety

From this reading “THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’”

All words in this reading · 44

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 She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading ‘I told you that if trouble overtook me I should come to you, and--I’m in trouble now.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading So was I,--and in perplexity as well.

assertverbUS /əˈsɜːrt/

state categorically

From this reading She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading ‘I told you that if trouble overtook me I should come to you, and--I’m in trouble now.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

gladadjectiveUS /ɡlæd/

showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

I'm

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

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading ‘I told you that if trouble overtook me I should come to you, and--I’m in trouble now.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading ‘I told you that if trouble overtook me I should come to you, and--I’m in trouble now.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.

NIGHTnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading ‘I told you that if trouble overtook me I should come to you, and--I’m in trouble now.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.

overtookverbUS /ˌoʊvərˈtʊk/

inflected form of “overtake” — catch up with and possibly overtake

From this reading ‘I told you that if trouble overtook me I should come to you, and--I’m in trouble now.

perplexitynounUS /pərˈpleksəti/

trouble or confusion resulting from complexity

From this reading So was I,--and in perplexity as well.

scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/

only a very short time before

From this reading She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

sharernounUS /ˈʃerər/

someone who has or gives or receives a part or a share

From this reading She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading ‘I told you that if trouble overtook me I should come to you, and--I’m in trouble now.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading Such strange trouble.’

SuchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Such strange trouble.’

SydneynounUS /ˈsɪdni/

the largest Australian city located in southeastern Australia on the Tasman Sea; state capital of New South Wales; Australia's chief port

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

TERRORnounUS /ˈterər/

an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading ‘I told you that if trouble overtook me I should come to you, and--I’m in trouble now.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading ‘I told you that if trouble overtook me I should come to you, and--I’m in trouble now.

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading ‘I told you that if trouble overtook me I should come to you, and--I’m in trouble now.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading She might be,--but, at that moment, I could scarcely assert that I was a sharer of her joy.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading So was I,--and in perplexity as well.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading THE TERROR IN THE NIGHT ‘Sydney!’ she cried, ‘I’m so glad that I can see you!’

Chapter 16 of The Beetle: A Mystery by Richard Marsh holds 300 sentences, grouped into 60 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 16 of The Beetle: A Mystery contain?

Chapter 16 holds 300 sentences of The Beetle: A Mystery, unabridged, divided into 60 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of The Beetle: A Mystery by Richard Marsh exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 300 sentences, grouped into 60 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 16 of The Beetle: A Mystery?

Work through the 60 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 60 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 The Beetle: A Mystery

Common questions about reading The Beetle: A Mystery by Richard Marsh on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Beetle: A Mystery?

Yes. All 6966 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5164 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Beetle: A Mystery is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5164, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Beetle: A Mystery take to read?

About 580 minutes of reading across 1394 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Beetle: A Mystery section by section

How to work through The Beetle: A Mystery section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Beetle: A 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 The Beetle: A Mystery

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Beetle: A Mystery, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Realised
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Beetle: A Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Speak
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Beetle: A Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mentally
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Beetle: A Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Photographed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Beetle: A Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.