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The Circular Staircase

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of The Circular Staircase is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 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

A SPRAINED ANKLE I was panic-stricken.

As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

I got down the staircase somehow, and through the kitchen to the basement stairs.

Mr. Jamieson had been before me, and the door stood open.

Liddy was standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding a frying-pan by the handle as a weapon.

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 VII Reading 1/31

The Circular Staircase

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of The Circular Staircase is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A SPRAINED ANKLE I was panic-stricken.

Line 2

As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

Line 3

I got down the staircase somehow, and through the kitchen to the basement stairs.

Line 4

Mr. Jamieson had been before me, and the door stood open.

Line 5

Liddy was standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding a frying-pan by the handle as a weapon.

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.

Open verb US /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading “Mr. Jamieson had been before me, and the door stood open.”

Stood verb US /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading “Mr. Jamieson had been before me, and the door stood open.”

All words in this reading · 55

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 A SPRAINED ANKLE I was panic-stricken.

along

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

and

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

ANKLE

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

From this reading A SPRAINED ANKLE I was panic-stricken.

As

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

at

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

basement

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

From this reading I got down the staircase somehow, and through the kitchen to the basement stairs.

been

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

before

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

From this reading Mr. Jamieson had been before me, and the door stood open.

by

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

From this reading Liddy was standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding a frying-pan by the handle as a weapon.

chute

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

confident

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

corridor

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

dead

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

door

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

From this reading Mr. Jamieson had been before me, and the door stood open.

down

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

From this reading I got down the staircase somehow, and through the kitchen to the basement stairs.

dying

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

foot

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

found

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

frying-pan

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

From this reading Liddy was standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding a frying-pan by the handle as a weapon.

got

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

From this reading I got down the staircase somehow, and through the kitchen to the basement stairs.

had

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

handle

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

From this reading Liddy was standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding a frying-pan by the handle as a weapon.

he

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

holding

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

From this reading Liddy was standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding a frying-pan by the handle as a weapon.

I

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

From this reading A SPRAINED ANKLE I was panic-stricken.

in

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

From this reading Liddy was standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding a frying-pan by the handle as a weapon.

intruder

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

Jamieson

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

From this reading Mr. Jamieson had been before me, and the door stood open.

kitchen

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

From this reading I got down the staircase somehow, and through the kitchen to the basement stairs.

lay

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

Liddy

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

From this reading Liddy was standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding a frying-pan by the handle as a weapon.

me

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

From this reading Mr. Jamieson had been before me, and the door stood open.

middle

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

From this reading Liddy was standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding a frying-pan by the handle as a weapon.

Mr

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

From this reading Mr. Jamieson had been before me, and the door stood open.

murderer

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

mysterious

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

of

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Mr. Jamieson had been before me, and the door stood open.

or

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

panic-stricken

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

From this reading A SPRAINED ANKLE I was panic-stricken.

probable

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

ran

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

somehow

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

From this reading I got down the staircase somehow, and through the kitchen to the basement stairs.

SPRAINED

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

From this reading A SPRAINED ANKLE I was panic-stricken.

staircase

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

From this reading I got down the staircase somehow, and through the kitchen to the basement stairs.

stairs

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

From this reading I got down the staircase somehow, and through the kitchen to the basement stairs.

standing

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

From this reading Liddy was standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding a frying-pan by the handle as a weapon.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Mr. Jamieson had been before me, and the door stood open.

that

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

the

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

From this reading As I ran along the corridor I was confident that the mysterious intruder and probable murderer had been found, and that he lay dead or dying at the foot of the chute.

through

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

From this reading I got down the staircase somehow, and through the kitchen to the basement stairs.

to

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

From this reading I got down the staircase somehow, and through the kitchen to the basement stairs.

was

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

From this reading A SPRAINED ANKLE I was panic-stricken.

weapon

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

From this reading Liddy was standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding a frying-pan by the handle as a weapon.

Chapter 7 of The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart holds 159 sentences, grouped into 32 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 7 of The Circular Staircase contain?

Chapter 7 holds 159 sentences of The Circular Staircase, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 159 sentences, grouped into 32 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 Circular Staircase?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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 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.