Chapter 23 of The Box with Broken Seals is here in full — 355 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of The Box with Broken Seals is here in full — 355 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short. He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition. Her little smile of welcome was entirely convincing. "Why, it's Nora Sharey!" he exclaimed. "Nora!"
Chapter 23 of The Box with Broken Seals is here in full — 355 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/71 · 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.
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading “Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.”
causing one to believe the truth of something
From this reading “Her little smile of welcome was entirely convincing.”
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading “He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.”
an instinctive motive
From this reading “He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.”
the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged
From this reading “He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.”
(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon
From this reading “He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.”
a geographical region of historical importance; a former duchy in what is now southwestern France, western Switzerland, and northwestern Italy
From this reading “Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.”
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances
From this reading “Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.”
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 looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
causing one to believe the truth of something
From this reading Her little smile of welcome was entirely convincing.
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Her little smile of welcome was entirely convincing.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "Why, it's Nora Sharey!" he exclaimed.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
a young female
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
an instinctive motive
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why, it's Nora Sharey!" he exclaimed.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Her little smile of welcome was entirely convincing.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why, it's Nora Sharey!" he exclaimed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
a geographical region of historical importance; a former duchy in what is now southwestern France, western Switzerland, and northwestern Italy
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why, it's Nora Sharey!" he exclaimed.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Her little smile of welcome was entirely convincing.
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Her little smile of welcome was entirely convincing.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Captain Richard Beverley, on his way through the hotel smoking room to the Savoy bar, stopped short.
accept gladly
From this reading Her little smile of welcome was entirely convincing.
which person or people
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, it's Nora Sharey!" he exclaimed.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He looked at the girl who had half risen from her seat on the couch with a sudden impulse of half startled recognition.
Chapter 23 of The Box with Broken Seals by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim holds 355 sentences, grouped into 71 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 23 holds 355 sentences of The Box with Broken Seals, unabridged, divided into 71 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of The Box with Broken Seals by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 355 sentences, grouped into 71 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 71 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 71 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 23 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 Box with Broken Seals by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5309 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9923 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9923, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 442 minutes of reading across 1062 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Box with Broken Seals section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of The Box with Broken Seals 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 Box with Broken Seals, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
