Chapter 28 of The Clock and the Key is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter 28 of The Clock and the Key is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor. I did not dare attempt to escape from the palace by the way of the tower. I stole across the polished floor out to the landing. I listened at the head of the stairs. In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.
Chapter 28 of The Clock and the Key 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
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.
a rattling noise (often produced by rapid movement)
From this reading “In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.”
the act of closing something
From this reading “Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor.”
plural of “flag” — emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
From this reading “In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.”
an intermediate platform in a staircase
From this reading “I stole across the polished floor out to the landing.”
a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material
From this reading “In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.”
sheet that forms a distinct (usually flat and rectangular) section or component of something
From this reading “Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor.”
perfected or made shiny and smooth
From this reading “I stole across the polished floor out to the landing.”
a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women
From this reading “I stole across the polished floor out to the landing.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “I stole across the polished floor out to the landing.”
In this reading “Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor.”
In this reading “In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.”
introducing a different topic
In this reading “I did not dare attempt to escape from the palace by the way of the tower.”
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.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading I stole across the polished floor out to the landing.
later than; following
From this reading Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I listened at the head of the stairs.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading I did not dare attempt to escape from the palace by the way of the tower.
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I did not dare attempt to escape from the palace by the way of the tower.
a rattling noise (often produced by rapid movement)
From this reading In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.
the act of closing something
From this reading Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading I did not dare attempt to escape from the palace by the way of the tower.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading I did not dare attempt to escape from the palace by the way of the tower.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading I did not dare attempt to escape from the palace by the way of the tower.
plural of “flag” — emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
From this reading In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I did not dare attempt to escape from the palace by the way of the tower.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading I listened at the head of the stairs.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.
an intermediate platform in a staircase
From this reading I stole across the polished floor out to the landing.
without good reason
From this reading Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor.
past form of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading I listened at the head of the stairs.
a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material
From this reading In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I did not dare attempt to escape from the palace by the way of the tower.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I did not dare attempt to escape from the palace by the way of the tower.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I stole across the polished floor out to the landing.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading I did not dare attempt to escape from the palace by the way of the tower.
sheet that forms a distinct (usually flat and rectangular) section or component of something
From this reading Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.
perfected or made shiny and smooth
From this reading I stole across the polished floor out to the landing.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading I listened at the head of the stairs.
a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women
From this reading I stole across the polished floor out to the landing.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Closing the panel door after me, I sprang lightly to the floor.
a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
From this reading I did not dare attempt to escape from the palace by the way of the tower.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading I did not dare attempt to escape from the palace by the way of the tower.
made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood
From this reading In the hall below I could hear the clatter of wooden pattens on the marble flags.
Chapter 28 of The Clock and the Key by A. H. (Arthur Henry) Vesey holds 100 sentences, grouped into 20 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 28 holds 100 sentences of The Clock and the Key, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 28 of The Clock and the Key by A. H. (Arthur Henry) Vesey exactly as it stands in the 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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 Clock and the Key by A. H. (Arthur Henry) Vesey on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4970 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54888 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54888, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 414 minutes of reading across 994 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Clock and the Key section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 31 chapters of The Clock and the Key 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 Clock and the Key, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
