VELMORA ACADEMY

Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies

Menu Close

The Circular Staircase

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The Circular Staircase is here in full — 99 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

IN THE EARLY MORNING I stood looking at the empty bed.

The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

The night lamp burned dimly, revealing the emptiness of the place.

I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

There were voices in the hall and Gertrude came running toward me.

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 XVI Reading 1/19

The Circular Staircase

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The Circular Staircase is here in full — 99 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

IN THE EARLY MORNING I stood looking at the empty bed.

Line 2

The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

Line 3

The night lamp burned dimly, revealing the emptiness of the place.

Line 4

I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

Line 5

There were voices in the hall and Gertrude came running toward me.

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.

Stood verb US /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading “IN THE EARLY MORNING I stood looking at the empty bed.”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

again

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

and

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

at

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

From this reading IN THE EARLY MORNING I stood looking at the empty bed.

back

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

bed

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

From this reading IN THE EARLY MORNING I stood looking at the empty bed.

been

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

burned

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

From this reading The night lamp burned dimly, revealing the emptiness of the place.

but

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

came

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

From this reading There were voices in the hall and Gertrude came running toward me.

coverings

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

dimly

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

From this reading The night lamp burned dimly, revealing the emptiness of the place.

door

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

down

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

dressing-gown

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

EARLY

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

From this reading IN THE EARLY MORNING I stood looking at the empty bed.

emptiness

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

From this reading The night lamp burned dimly, revealing the emptiness of the place.

empty

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

From this reading IN THE EARLY MORNING I stood looking at the empty bed.

foot

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

from

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

Gertrude

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

From this reading There were voices in the hall and Gertrude came running toward me.

gone

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

got

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

had

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

hall

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

From this reading There were voices in the hall and Gertrude came running toward me.

hand

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

I

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

From this reading IN THE EARLY MORNING I stood looking at the empty bed.

IN

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

From this reading IN THE EARLY MORNING I stood looking at the empty bed.

it

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

lain

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

lamp

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

From this reading The night lamp burned dimly, revealing the emptiness of the place.

looking

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

From this reading IN THE EARLY MORNING I stood looking at the empty bed.

Louise's

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

me

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

From this reading There were voices in the hall and Gertrude came running toward me.

MORNING

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

From this reading IN THE EARLY MORNING I stood looking at the empty bed.

my

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

night

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

From this reading The night lamp burned dimly, revealing the emptiness of the place.

of

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

From this reading The night lamp burned dimly, revealing the emptiness of the place.

picked

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

pink

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

place

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

From this reading The night lamp burned dimly, revealing the emptiness of the place.

put

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

revealing

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

From this reading The night lamp burned dimly, revealing the emptiness of the place.

running

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

From this reading There were voices in the hall and Gertrude came running toward me.

shook

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

silk

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

so

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

somehow

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading IN THE EARLY MORNING I stood looking at the empty bed.

that

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

THE

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

From this reading IN THE EARLY MORNING I stood looking at the empty bed.

There

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

From this reading There were voices in the hall and Gertrude came running toward me.

thrown

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

to

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

toward

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

From this reading There were voices in the hall and Gertrude came running toward me.

up

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

From this reading I picked it up, but my hand shook so that I put it down again, and got somehow to the door.

voices

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

From this reading There were voices in the hall and Gertrude came running toward me.

was

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

were

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

From this reading There were voices in the hall and Gertrude came running toward me.

where

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

From this reading The coverings had been thrown back, and Louise’s pink silk dressing-gown was gone from the foot, where it had lain.

Chapter 16 of The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart holds 99 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 16 of The Circular Staircase contain?

Chapter 16 holds 99 sentences of The Circular Staircase, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 99 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 16 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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.