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The Betrayal
The Betrayal

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Betrayal is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Betrayal
Context Illustration Reading 10/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It was several minutes before he returned.
I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.
Then the door handle suddenly turned, and he stepped in.
His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.
I looked at him inquiringly.
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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.

The Betrayal

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Betrayal is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 10/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 46–50

Line 1
It was several minutes before he returned.
/ɪt wɑːz ˈsevrəl ˈmɪnəts bɪˈfɔːr hiː rɪˈtɜːrnd/
Line 2
I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.
Line 3
Then the door handle suddenly turned, and he stepped in.
/ðen ðə dɔːr ˈhændəl ˈsʌdənli tɜːrnd ənd hiː stept ɪn/
Line 4
His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.
/hɪz her wɑːz tɔːst wɪð ðə waɪnd hɪz ʃuːz wɜːr wet ənd ˈkʌvərd wɪð mʌd ənd hiː wɑːz ˈbriːðɪŋ ˈræðər fæst æz ðoʊ hiː hæd bɪn ˈrʌnɪŋ/
Line 5
I looked at him inquiringly.

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.

breathing noun US /ˈbriːðɪŋ/

the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation

From this reading “His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.”

covered adjective US /ˈkʌvərd/

overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form

From this reading “His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.”

handle verb US /ˈhændəl/

be in charge of, act on, or dispose of

From this reading “Then the door handle suddenly turned, and he stepped in.”

mud noun US /mʌd/

water soaked soil; soft wet earth

From this reading “His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.”

shoes noun US /ʃuːz/

a particular situation

From this reading “His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.”

stepped verb US /stept/

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading “Then the door handle suddenly turned, and he stepped in.”

tossed verb US /tɔːst/

past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion

From this reading “His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.”

wet adjective US /wet/

covered or soaked with a liquid such as water

From this reading “His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.”

All words in this reading · 48

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.

Angela

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

From this reading I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I looked at him inquiringly.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It was several minutes before he returned.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.

breathingnounUS /ˈbriːðɪŋ/

the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.

coveredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌvərd/

overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

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

From this reading Then the door handle suddenly turned, and he stepped in.

fastadverbUS /fæst/

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

handleverbUS /ˈhændəl/

be in charge of, act on, or dispose of

From this reading Then the door handle suddenly turned, and he stepped in.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading It was several minutes before he returned.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading I looked at him inquiringly.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Then the door handle suddenly turned, and he stepped in.

inquiringlyadverb

in an inquiring manner

From this reading I looked at him inquiringly.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was several minutes before he returned.

LadynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading I looked at him inquiringly.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading It was several minutes before he returned.

mudnounUS /mʌd/

water soaked soil; soft wet earth

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading It was several minutes before he returned.

Rowchester

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

From this reading I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.

runningadjectiveUS /ˈrʌnɪŋ/

(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading It was several minutes before he returned.

shoesnounUS /ʃuːz/

a particular situation

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

steppedverbUS /stept/

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading Then the door handle suddenly turned, and he stepped in.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading Then the door handle suddenly turned, and he stepped in.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Then the door handle suddenly turned, and he stepped in.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then the door handle suddenly turned, and he stepped in.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.

tossedverbUS /tɔːst/

past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Then the door handle suddenly turned, and he stepped in.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was several minutes before he returned.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

wetadjectiveUS /wet/

covered or soaked with a liquid such as water

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading His hair was tossed with the wind, his shoes were wet and covered with mud, and he was breathing rather fast, as though he had been running.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.

wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading I began to wonder whether he had changed his mind, and returned to Rowchester with Lady Angela.

Chapter 1 of The Betrayal by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim holds 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 1 of The Betrayal contain?

Chapter 1 holds 186 sentences of The Betrayal, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Betrayal by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 1 of The Betrayal?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Betrayal

Common questions about reading The Betrayal by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Betrayal?

Yes. All 6547 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16998 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Betrayal is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #16998, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Betrayal take to read?

About 545 minutes of reading across 1310 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Betrayal section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Betrayal 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 Betrayal

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Betrayal, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Hurried
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Betrayal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sitting
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Betrayal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chair
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Betrayal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pointing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Betrayal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.