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The Circular Staircase

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Circular Staircase is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mary Roberts Rinehart • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Circular Staircase

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

MR.

JOHN BAILEY APPEARS I had dinner served in the breakfast-room.

Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

Dinner over I went into the living-room.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter III Reading 1/20

The Circular Staircase

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Circular Staircase is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

MR.

Line 2

JOHN BAILEY APPEARS I had dinner served in the breakfast-room.

Line 3

Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

Line 4

He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

Line 5

Dinner over I went into the living-room.

All words in this reading · 53

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.

a

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

all

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

allowed

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

altogether

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

and

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

APPEARS

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

From this reading JOHN BAILEY APPEARS I had dinner served in the breakfast-room.

BAILEY

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

From this reading JOHN BAILEY APPEARS I had dinner served in the breakfast-room.

breakfast-room

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

From this reading JOHN BAILEY APPEARS I had dinner served in the breakfast-room.

by

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

candles

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

cheerful

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

corners

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

day

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

depressed

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

dining-room

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

dinner

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

From this reading JOHN BAILEY APPEARS I had dinner served in the breakfast-room.

down

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

enough

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

festive

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

go

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

habit

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

had

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

From this reading JOHN BAILEY APPEARS I had dinner served in the breakfast-room.

He

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

his

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

huge

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

I

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

From this reading JOHN BAILEY APPEARS I had dinner served in the breakfast-room.

in

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

From this reading JOHN BAILEY APPEARS I had dinner served in the breakfast-room.

into

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

From this reading Dinner over I went into the living-room.

it

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

JOHN

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

From this reading JOHN BAILEY APPEARS I had dinner served in the breakfast-room.

left

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

living-room

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

From this reading Dinner over I went into the living-room.

me

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

meal

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

MR

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

From this reading MR.

not

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

of

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

on

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

over

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

From this reading Dinner over I went into the living-room.

room

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

served

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

From this reading JOHN BAILEY APPEARS I had dinner served in the breakfast-room.

shadowy

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

Somehow

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

spirits

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

sun

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

table

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

the

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

From this reading JOHN BAILEY APPEARS I had dinner served in the breakfast-room.

Thomas

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

to

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

was

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

watching

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

From this reading He had a habit of watching the corners of the room, left shadowy by the candles on the table, and altogether it was not a festive meal.

went

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

From this reading Dinner over I went into the living-room.

with

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

From this reading Somehow the huge dining-room depressed me, and Thomas, cheerful enough all day, allowed his spirits to go down with the sun.

Chapter 3 of The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart holds 100 sentences, grouped into 20 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.

What does chapter 3 of The Circular Staircase contain?

Chapter 3 holds 100 sentences of The Circular Staircase, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 100 sentences, grouped into 20 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 Circular Staircase?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 Circular Staircase

Common questions about reading The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Circular Staircase?

Yes. All 4811 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #434 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Circular Staircase is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #434, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Circular Staircase take to read?

About 400 minutes of reading across 963 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Circular Staircase section by section

How to work through The Circular Staircase section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 34 chapters of The Circular Staircase to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Circular Staircase

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Circular Staircase, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Story: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Circular Staircase; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Middle-aged: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Circular Staircase; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spinster: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Circular Staircase; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Deserted: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Circular Staircase; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.