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The Cask
The Cask

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Cask is here in full — 162 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Freeman Wills Crofts • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Cask
Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.
Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.
A young man of ideas and of promise, he took himself and his work seriously.
He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.
He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Cask

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Cask is here in full — 162 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.
Line 2
Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.
Line 3
A young man of ideas and of promise, he took himself and his work seriously.
/ə jʌŋ mæn ʌv aɪˈdiːəz ənd ʌv ˈprɑːməs hiː tʊk hɪmˈself ənd hɪz wɜːrk ˈsɪriəsli/
Line 4
He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.
/hiː hæd æmˈbɪʃənz ðə tʃiːf ʌv wɪtʃ wɑːz tuː bɪˈkʌm ə dɪˈtektɪv ˈɔːfəsər ənd hiː driːmd ʌv ðə deɪ wen hiː wʊd hæv klaɪmd tuː ðə ˈɡɪdi ˈemənəns ʌv æn ˌɪnˈspektər ʌv ðə jɑːrd/
Line 5
He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.

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.

ambitions noun US /æmˈbɪʃənz/

plural of “ambition” — a cherished desire

From this reading “He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cask noun US /kæsk/

the quantity a cask will hold

From this reading “THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Freeman noun US /ˈfriːmən/

a person who is not a serf or a slave

From this reading “He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
giddy adjective US /ˈɡɪdi/

having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling

From this reading “He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
interviewing verb US /ˈɪntərvjuːɪŋ/

-ing form of “interview” — conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting

From this reading “THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stimulated adjective US /ˈstɪmjəleɪtɪd/

emotionally aroused

From this reading “He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Walker noun US /ˈwɔːkər/

New Zealand runner who in 1975 became the first person to run a mile in less that 3 minutes and 50 seconds (born in 1952)

From this reading “Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
watcher noun US /ˈwɑːtʃər/

a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)

From this reading “THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

young man adjective + noun

a teenager or a young adult male

In this reading “A young man of ideas and of promise, he took himself and his work seriously.”

130,774 times in 225,867 chapters
same time adjective + noun

In this reading “THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.”

66,241 times in 225,867 chapters
private life adjective + noun

In this reading “Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.”

2,754 times in 225,867 chapters
ON THE WALL preposition + article + noun counted as “on … wall”

In this reading “THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.”

15,702 times in 225,867 chapters
in progress preposition + noun

In this reading “THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.”

3,105 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 80

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.

76

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ambitionsnounUS /æmˈbɪʃənz/

plural of “ambition” — a cherished desire

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AustinnounUS /ˈɔːstən/

state capital of Texas on the Colorado River; site of the University of Texas

From this reading He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Broughton

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Pending verification
Burnley

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Pending verification
casknounUS /kæsk/

the quantity a cask will hold

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
centring

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Pending verification
chiefnounUS /tʃiːf/

a person who is in charge

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
climbedverbUS /klaɪmd/

past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Conan

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.

Pending verification
ConstablenounUS /ˈkɑːnstəbəl/

a lawman with less authority and jurisdiction than a sheriff

From this reading Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
detectivenounUS /dɪˈtektɪv/

a police officer who investigates crimes

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Doyle

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.

Pending verification
dreamedadjectiveUS /driːmd/

conceived of or imagined or hoped for

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eminencenounUS /ˈemənəns/

high status importance owing to marked superiority

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eventsnounUS /ɪˈvents/

plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fictionnounUS /ˈfɪkʃən/

a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact

From this reading He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forcenounUS /fɔːrs/

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FreemannounUS /ˈfriːmən/

a person who is not a serf or a slave

From this reading He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
giddyadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪdi/

having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Harkness

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Pending verification
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading A young man of ideas and of promise, he took himself and his work seriously.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading A young man of ideas and of promise, he took himself and his work seriously.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ideasnounUS /aɪˈdiːəz/

plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading A young man of ideas and of promise, he took himself and his work seriously.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
imaginationnounUS /ˌɪmædʒəˈneɪʃən/

the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses

From this reading He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
InspectornounUS /ˌɪnˈspektər/

a high ranking police officer

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
interviewingverbUS /ˈɪntərvjuːɪŋ/

-ing form of “interview” — conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading A young man of ideas and of promise, he took himself and his work seriously.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mastersnounUS /ˈmæstərz/

United States poet (1869-1950)

From this reading He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
membernounUS /ˈmembər/

one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)

From this reading Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
newly-joined

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.

Pending verification
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
officernounUS /ˈɔːfəsər/

any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PolicenounUS /pəˈliːs/

the force of policemen and officers

From this reading Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
privateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/

confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

From this reading Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
progressnounUS /ˈprɑːɡres/

gradual improvement or growth or development

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
promiseverbUS /ˈprɑːməs/

make a promise or commitment

From this reading A young man of ideas and of promise, he took himself and his work seriously.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Velmora curated lexicon
seriesnounUS /ˈsɪriz/

similar things placed in order or happening one after another

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seriouslyadverbUS /ˈsɪriəsli/

in a serious manner

From this reading A young man of ideas and of promise, he took himself and his work seriously.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stimulatedadjectiveUS /ˈstɪmjəleɪtɪd/

emotionally aroused

From this reading He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
talesnounUS /teɪlz/

plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading He had read Conan Doyle, Austin Freeman, and other masters of detective fiction, and their tales had stimulated his imagination.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading A young man of ideas and of promise, he took himself and his work seriously.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WalkernounUS /ˈwɔːkər/

New Zealand runner who in 1975 became the first person to run a mile in less that 3 minutes and 50 seconds (born in 1952)

From this reading Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WALLnounUS /wɔːl/

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WATCHERnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃər/

a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)

From this reading THE WATCHER ON THE WALL At the same time that Inspector Burnley was interviewing Broughton and Harkness in his office, another series of events centring round the cask was in progress in a different part of London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading A young man of ideas and of promise, he took himself and his work seriously.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
YardnounUS /jɑːrd/

a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading He had ambitions, the chief of which was to become a detective officer, and he dreamed of the day when he would have climbed to the giddy eminence of an Inspector of the Yard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading A young man of ideas and of promise, he took himself and his work seriously.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ZnounUS /ziː/

the ending of a series or sequence

From this reading Police Constable Z76, John Walker in private life, was a newly-joined member of the force.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 7 of The Cask by Freeman Wills Crofts holds 162 sentences, grouped into 33 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 7 of The Cask contain?

Chapter 7 holds 162 sentences of The Cask, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of The Cask by Freeman Wills Crofts exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 162 sentences, grouped into 33 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 7 of The Cask?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 34 chapters of The Cask to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. 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.