Chapter 9 of The Circular Staircase is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Circular Staircase is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
JUST LIKE A GIRL “Aunt Ray!” Halsey said from the gloom behind the lamps. “What in the world are you doing here?” “Taking a walk,” I said, trying to be composed. I don’t think the answer struck either of us as being ridiculous at the time.
Chapter 9 of The Circular Staircase is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/36 · 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.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading “JUST LIKE A GIRL “Aunt Ray!””
serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress
From this reading ““Taking a walk,” I said, trying to be composed.”
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading “Halsey said from the gloom behind the lamps.”
plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading “Halsey said from the gloom behind the lamps.”
a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading “JUST LIKE A GIRL “Aunt Ray!””
inspiring scornful pity
From this reading “I don’t think the answer struck either of us as being ridiculous at the time.”
hard to endure
From this reading ““Taking a walk,” I said, trying to be composed.”
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading ““Taking a walk,” I said, trying to be composed.”
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 JUST LIKE A GIRL “Aunt Ray!”
react verbally
From this reading I don’t think the answer struck either of us as being ridiculous at the time.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “What in the world are you doing here?”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I don’t think the answer struck either of us as being ridiculous at the time.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I don’t think the answer struck either of us as being ridiculous at the time.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading JUST LIKE A GIRL “Aunt Ray!”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Taking a walk,” I said, trying to be composed.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Halsey said from the gloom behind the lamps.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading I don’t think the answer struck either of us as being ridiculous at the time.
serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress
From this reading “Taking a walk,” I said, trying to be composed.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading “What in the world are you doing here?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don’t think the answer struck either of us as being ridiculous at the time.
one or the other of two
From this reading I don’t think the answer struck either of us as being ridiculous at the time.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Halsey said from the gloom behind the lamps.
a young female
From this reading JUST LIKE A GIRL “Aunt Ray!”
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading Halsey said from the gloom behind the lamps.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Halsey said from the gloom behind the lamps.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “What in the world are you doing here?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Taking a walk,” I said, trying to be composed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “What in the world are you doing here?”
and nothing more
From this reading JUST LIKE A GIRL “Aunt Ray!”
plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading Halsey said from the gloom behind the lamps.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading JUST LIKE A GIRL “Aunt Ray!”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I don’t think the answer struck either of us as being ridiculous at the time.
a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading JUST LIKE A GIRL “Aunt Ray!”
inspiring scornful pity
From this reading I don’t think the answer struck either of us as being ridiculous at the time.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Halsey said from the gloom behind the lamps.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading I don’t think the answer struck either of us as being ridiculous at the time.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading “Taking a walk,” I said, trying to be composed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Halsey said from the gloom behind the lamps.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I don’t think the answer struck either of us as being ridiculous at the time.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I don’t think the answer struck either of us as being ridiculous at the time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Taking a walk,” I said, trying to be composed.
hard to endure
From this reading “Taking a walk,” I said, trying to be composed.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I don’t think the answer struck either of us as being ridiculous at the time.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading “Taking a walk,” I said, trying to be composed.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What in the world are you doing here?”
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading “What in the world are you doing here?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “What in the world are you doing here?”
Chapter 9 of The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart holds 180 sentences, grouped into 36 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.
Chapter 9 holds 180 sentences of The Circular Staircase, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 180 sentences, grouped into 36 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 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 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 9 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 Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4811 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #434 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #434, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 400 minutes of reading across 963 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Circular Staircase section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of The Circular Staircase 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 Circular Staircase, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
