Chapter 17 of The Breaking Point is here in full — 229 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of The Breaking Point is here in full — 229 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“You look as though you'd struck oil,” said the night clerk. “Oil! I'll tell you what I have struck. I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.” The clerk grinned, and Bassett idly pulled the register toward him.
Chapter 17 of The Breaking Point is here in full — 229 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/45 · 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.
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading “The clerk grinned, and Bassett idly pulled the register toward him.”
in an idle manner
From this reading “The clerk grinned, and Bassett idly pulled the register toward him.”
uniform worn by some menservants and chauffeurs
From this reading “I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.””
the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros
From this reading “I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.””
A viscous liquid derived from petroleum or plants, stored in large earthen jars.
From this reading ““You look as though you'd struck oil,” said the night clerk.”
record in writing; enter into a book of names or events or transactions
From this reading “The clerk grinned, and Bassett idly pulled the register toward him.”
put a saddle on
From this reading “I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.””
resistant to change of position or condition
From this reading “I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.””
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've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The clerk grinned, and Bassett idly pulled the register toward him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “You look as though you'd struck oil,” said the night clerk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The clerk grinned, and Bassett idly pulled the register toward him.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading “You look as though you'd struck oil,” said the night clerk.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.”
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading The clerk grinned, and Bassett idly pulled the register toward him.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I'll tell you what I have struck.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The clerk grinned, and Bassett idly pulled the register toward him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I'll tell you what I have struck.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'll tell you what I have struck.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.”
in an idle manner
From this reading The clerk grinned, and Bassett idly pulled the register toward him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.”
immediately past
From this reading I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.”
uniform worn by some menservants and chauffeurs
From this reading I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.”
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “You look as though you'd struck oil,” said the night clerk.
the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros
From this reading I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.”
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading “You look as though you'd struck oil,” said the night clerk.
A viscous liquid derived from petroleum or plants, stored in large earthen jars.
From this reading “You look as though you'd struck oil,” said the night clerk.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading The clerk grinned, and Bassett idly pulled the register toward him.
record in writing; enter into a book of names or events or transactions
From this reading The clerk grinned, and Bassett idly pulled the register toward him.
put a saddle on
From this reading I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “You look as though you'd struck oil,” said the night clerk.
resistant to change of position or condition
From this reading I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.”
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading “You look as though you'd struck oil,” said the night clerk.
express in words
From this reading I'll tell you what I have struck.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “You look as though you'd struck oil,” said the night clerk.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading “You look as though you'd struck oil,” said the night clerk.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.”
in the direction of
From this reading The clerk grinned, and Bassett idly pulled the register toward him.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I've struck a livery stable saddle two million times in the last two days.”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I'll tell you what I have struck.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You look as though you'd struck oil,” said the night clerk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You look as though you'd struck oil,” said the night clerk.
Chapter 17 of The Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart holds 229 sentences, grouped into 46 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 17 holds 229 sentences of The Breaking Point, unabridged, divided into 46 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of The Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 229 sentences, grouped into 46 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 46 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 46 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 17 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 Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9105 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1601 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1601, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1821 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Breaking Point section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Breaking Point 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 Breaking Point, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
