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.
"The only loss is to my self-respect. I owe to charity what I might have earned." He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile. "You talk," he said, "like a very young man. If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
Chapter 1 of The Betrayal is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 25/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 121–125
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.
a foundation created to promote the public good (not for assistance to any particular individuals)
From this reading “I owe to charity what I might have earned."”
plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area
From this reading “If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.”
abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule
From this reading “He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.”
gained or acquired; especially through merit or as a result of effort or action
From this reading “I owe to charity what I might have earned."”
inflected form of “learn” — gain knowledge or skills
From this reading “If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.”
a unit of instruction
From this reading “If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.”
be obliged to pay or repay
From this reading “I owe to charity what I might have earned."”
the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect
From this reading “"The only loss is to my self-respect.”
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 He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
a foundation created to promote the public good (not for assistance to any particular individuals)
From this reading I owe to charity what I might have earned."
plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule
From this reading He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
gained or acquired; especially through merit or as a result of effort or action
From this reading I owe to charity what I might have earned."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
greater in size or importance or degree
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I owe to charity what I might have earned."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I owe to charity what I might have earned."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "The only loss is to my self-respect.
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
inflected form of “learn” — gain knowledge or skills
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
a unit of instruction
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "You talk," he said, "like a very young man.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
something that is lost
From this reading "The only loss is to my self-respect.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "You talk," he said, "like a very young man.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading I owe to charity what I might have earned."
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "The only loss is to my self-respect.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
and nothing more
From this reading "The only loss is to my self-respect.
be obliged to pay or repay
From this reading I owe to charity what I might have earned."
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "You talk," he said, "like a very young man.
the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect
From this reading "The only loss is to my self-respect.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading "You talk," he said, "like a very young man.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "The only loss is to my self-respect.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "The only loss is to my self-respect.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
precisely as stated
From this reading "You talk," he said, "like a very young man.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I owe to charity what I might have earned."
in the company of; together with
From this reading He took his pipe from his mouth and looked at me with a thin derisive smile.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If you had knocked about in all corners of the world as I have you would have learnt a greater lesson from a greater book.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You talk," he said, "like a very young man.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading "You talk," he said, "like a very young man.
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.
