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The Circular Staircase
The Circular Staircase

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of The Circular Staircase is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mary Roberts Rinehart • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Circular Staircase
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.
It developed nothing new beyond the story of Doctor Stewart’s, and that was volunteered.”
“An inquest is only a necessary formality, Miss Innes,” he replied.
“Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.
The police step in later.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

The Circular Staircase

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of The Circular Staircase is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.
Line 2
It developed nothing new beyond the story of Doctor Stewart’s, and that was volunteered.”
Line 3
“An inquest is only a necessary formality, Miss Innes,” he replied.
Line 4
“Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.
Line 5
The police step in later.

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.

Alone adjective US /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading “CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.”

Velmora curated lexicon
Open verb US /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading ““Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.”

Velmora curated lexicon

All words in this reading · 68

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 “An inquest is only a necessary formality, Miss Innes,” he replied.

Pending verification
after

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Velmora curated lexicon
already

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
An

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

From this reading “An inquest is only a necessary formality, Miss Innes,” he replied.

Pending verification
and

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

From this reading It developed nothing new beyond the story of Doctor Stewart’s, and that was volunteered.”

Pending verification
are

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
beyond

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

From this reading It developed nothing new beyond the story of Doctor Stewart’s, and that was volunteered.”

Pending verification
committed

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
CONCERNING

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
crime

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
developed

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

From this reading It developed nothing new beyond the story of Doctor Stewart’s, and that was volunteered.”

Pending verification
dinner

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
Doctor

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

From this reading It developed nothing new beyond the story of Doctor Stewart’s, and that was volunteered.”

Pending verification
does

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
events

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
evidence

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
formality

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

From this reading “An inquest is only a necessary formality, Miss Innes,” he replied.

Pending verification
found

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
from

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
getting

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
he

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

From this reading “An inquest is only a necessary formality, Miss Innes,” he replied.

Pending verification
I

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
in

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
Innes

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

From this reading “An inquest is only a necessary formality, Miss Innes,” he replied.

Pending verification
inquest

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
is

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

From this reading “An inquest is only a necessary formality, Miss Innes,” he replied.

Pending verification
It

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

From this reading It developed nothing new beyond the story of Doctor Stewart’s, and that was volunteered.”

Pending verification
Jamieson

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
known

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
later

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

From this reading The police step in later.

Pending verification
me

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
merest

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
minds

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
Miss

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

From this reading “An inquest is only a necessary formality, Miss Innes,” he replied.

Pending verification
Mr

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
necessary

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

From this reading “An inquest is only a necessary formality, Miss Innes,” he replied.

Pending verification
new

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

From this reading It developed nothing new beyond the story of Doctor Stewart’s, and that was volunteered.”

Pending verification
night

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
nothing

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

From this reading It developed nothing new beyond the story of Doctor Stewart’s, and that was volunteered.”

Pending verification
of

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
only

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

From this reading “An inquest is only a necessary formality, Miss Innes,” he replied.

Pending verification
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Velmora curated lexicon
ourselves

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
police

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

From this reading The police step in later.

Pending verification
recapitulation

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
replied

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

From this reading “An inquest is only a necessary formality, Miss Innes,” he replied.

Pending verification
said

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
seemed

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
step

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

From this reading The police step in later.

Pending verification
Stewart's

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

From this reading It developed nothing new beyond the story of Doctor Stewart’s, and that was volunteered.”

Pending verification
still

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
story

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

From this reading It developed nothing new beyond the story of Doctor Stewart’s, and that was volunteered.”

Pending verification
that

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
the

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
their

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
things

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
THOMAS

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
to

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
Unless

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
volunteered

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

From this reading It developed nothing new beyond the story of Doctor Stewart’s, and that was volunteered.”

Pending verification
was

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

From this reading It developed nothing new beyond the story of Doctor Stewart’s, and that was volunteered.”

Pending verification
we

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
were

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
when

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification
while

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
witnesses

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

From this reading “Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their minds.

Pending verification
yesterday

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

From this reading CONCERNING THOMAS “Mr. Jamieson,” I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, “the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of things that were already known.

Pending verification

Chapter 19 of The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart holds 105 sentences, grouped into 21 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 19 of The Circular Staircase contain?

Chapter 19 holds 105 sentences of The Circular Staircase, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 105 sentences, grouped into 21 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 19 of The Circular Staircase?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 34 chapters of The Circular Staircase 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 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.