Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Cask is here in full — 14 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IX. M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER? XI. MM. DUPIERRE ET CIE XII.
The Cask
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Cask is here in full — 14 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
IX.
M.
LE
CHEF
DE
LA
SÛRETÉ
X.
WHO
WROTE
THE
LETTER?
XI.
MM.
DUPIERRE
ET
CIE
XII.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
The Cask
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Cask is here in full — 14 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/2 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
IX.
Line 2
M.
LE
CHEF
DE
LA
SÛRETÉ
X.
WHO
WROTE
THE
LETTER?
Line 3
XI.
/ʃiː/
Line 4
MM.
/m/
Line 5
DUPIERRE
ET
CIE
XII.
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.
chef
noun
US /ʃef/
a professional cook
From this reading “M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?”
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading “M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?”
inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading “M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?”
Word partnerships in these lines
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
DE LA
noun + noun
In this reading “M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?”
WROTE THE LETTER
verb + article + noun
counted as “write … letter”
In this reading “M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?”
All words in this reading · 18
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.
CHEFnounUS /ʃef/
a professional cook
From this reading M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?
CIE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DUPIERRE ET CIE XII.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?
DUPIERRE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DUPIERRE ET CIE XII.
ET
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DUPIERRE ET CIE XII.
IXnoun
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading IX.
a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
From this reading M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?
a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)
From this reading M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?
MMnounUS /m/
a metric unit of length equal to one thousandth of a meter
From this reading MM.
SÛRETÉ
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?
which person or people
From this reading M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?
inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?
XnounUS /eks/
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading M. LE CHEF DE LA SÛRETÉ X. WHO WROTE THE LETTER?
XInounUS /ʃiː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one
From this reading XI.
XIInoun
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading DUPIERRE ET CIE XII.
Chapter 3 of The Cask by Freeman Wills Crofts holds 14 sentences, grouped into 3 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 3 of The Cask contain?
Chapter 3 holds 14 sentences of The Cask, unabridged, divided into 3 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Cask by Freeman Wills Crofts exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 14 sentences, grouped into 3 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 3 of The Cask?
Work through the 3 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 3 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 3 be read aloud to me?
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Cask
Common questions about reading The Cask by Freeman Wills Crofts on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Cask?
Yes. All 7868 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59854 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Cask is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #59854, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Cask take to read?
About 600 minutes of reading across 1574 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Cask section by section
How to work through The Cask section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
-
Open a chapter
Choose one of the 34 chapters of The Cask to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in The Cask
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Cask, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Introduced
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cask; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Public
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cask; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Master
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cask; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Detective
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cask; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.