Chapter 1 of The Betrayal is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Betrayal is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I laughed a little bitterly. I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so. "I sold my things at Magdalen, and paid my debts. I was promised two pupils if I would take a house somewhere on this coast. I took one and got ready for them with my last few pounds.
Chapter 1 of The Betrayal is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 21/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 101–105
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.
with bitterness; in a resentful manner
From this reading “I laughed a little bitterly.”
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading “I was promised two pupils if I would take a house somewhere on this coast.”
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
From this reading “I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.”
plural of “debt” — the state of owing something (especially money)
From this reading “"I sold my things at Magdalen, and paid my debts.”
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading “I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.”
a reformed prostitute
From this reading “"I sold my things at Magdalen, and paid my debts.”
plural of “pupil” — a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution
From this reading “I was promised two pupils if I would take a house somewhere on this coast.”
disposed of to a purchaser
From this reading “"I sold my things at Magdalen, and paid my debts.”
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 I laughed a little bitterly.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "I sold my things at Magdalen, and paid my debts.
with bitterness; in a resentful manner
From this reading I laughed a little bitterly.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading I was promised two pupils if I would take a house somewhere on this coast.
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
From this reading I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.
plural of “debt” — the state of owing something (especially money)
From this reading "I sold my things at Magdalen, and paid my debts.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading I took one and got ready for them with my last few pounds.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I took one and got ready for them with my last few pounds.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I took one and got ready for them with my last few pounds.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading I was promised two pupils if I would take a house somewhere on this coast.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I laughed a little bitterly.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I was promised two pupils if I would take a house somewhere on this coast.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.
immediately past
From this reading I took one and got ready for them with my last few pounds.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading I laughed a little bitterly.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I laughed a little bitterly.
a reformed prostitute
From this reading "I sold my things at Magdalen, and paid my debts.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I sold my things at Magdalen, and paid my debts.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I was promised two pupils if I would take a house somewhere on this coast.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I took one and got ready for them with my last few pounds.
marked by the reception of pay
From this reading "I sold my things at Magdalen, and paid my debts.
plural of “pound” — 16 ounces avoirdupois
From this reading I took one and got ready for them with my last few pounds.
past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment
From this reading I was promised two pupils if I would take a house somewhere on this coast.
plural of “pupil” — a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution
From this reading I was promised two pupils if I would take a house somewhere on this coast.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading I took one and got ready for them with my last few pounds.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.
disposed of to a purchaser
From this reading "I sold my things at Magdalen, and paid my debts.
in or at or to some place
From this reading I was promised two pupils if I would take a house somewhere on this coast.
carry out
From this reading I was promised two pupils if I would take a house somewhere on this coast.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I took one and got ready for them with my last few pounds.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading "I sold my things at Magdalen, and paid my debts.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I was promised two pupils if I would take a house somewhere on this coast.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading I took one and got ready for them with my last few pounds.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I was promised two pupils if I would take a house somewhere on this coast.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.
(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 I knew quite well that he was expecting me to continue, and I did so.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I took one and got ready for them with my last few pounds.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I was promised two pupils if I would take a house somewhere on this coast.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Common questions about reading The Betrayal by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6547 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16998 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #16998, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 545 minutes of reading across 1310 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Betrayal section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Betrayal 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 Betrayal, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
