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The Coward Behind the Curtain
The Coward Behind the Curtain

Chapter XXII

Chapter 22 of The Coward Behind the Curtain is here in full — 229 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/45 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.
"Then, from your post of vantage, you did not see all that occurred?"
"I saw you hit him."
"And with that blow I killed him.
If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.
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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 Coward Behind the Curtain

Chapter XXII

Chapter 22 of The Coward Behind the Curtain is here in full — 229 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/45 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.
Line 2
"Then, from your post of vantage, you did not see all that occurred?"
/ðen frʌm jɔːr poʊst ʌv ˈvæntədʒ juː dɪd nɑːt siː ɔːl ðæt əˈkɜːrd/
Line 3
"I saw you hit him."
/aɪ sɔː juː hɪt hɪm/
Line 4
"And with that blow I killed him.
/ənd wɪð ðæt bloʊ aɪ kɪld hɪm/
Line 5
If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.

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.

grasped verb US /ɡræspt/

past form of “grasp” — hold firmly

From this reading “THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.”

hit verb US /hɪt/

cause to move by striking

From this reading “"I saw you hit him."”

killing noun US /ˈkɪlɪŋ/

an event that causes someone to die

From this reading “If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.”

murder verb US /ˈmɜːrdər/

kill intentionally and with premeditation

From this reading “If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.”

puzzled adjective US /ˈpʌzəld/

filled with bewilderment

From this reading “THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.”

regarded verb US /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading “THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.”

telegram noun US /ˈteləɡræm/

a message transmitted by telegraph

From this reading “THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.”

vantage noun US /ˈvæntədʒ/

place or situation affording some advantage (especially a comprehensive view or commanding perspective)

From this reading “"Then, from your post of vantage, you did not see all that occurred?"”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

of vantage preposition + noun

In this reading “"Then, from your post of vantage, you did not see all that occurred?"”

in silence preposition + noun

In this reading “THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.”

for a second preposition + article + noun counted as “for … second”

In this reading “THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "Then, from your post of vantage, you did not see all that occurred?"

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading "And with that blow I killed him.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.

Arnecliffe

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

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

blowverbUS /bloʊ/

exhale hard

From this reading "And with that blow I killed him.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.

casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

From this reading If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

graspedverbUS /ɡræspt/

past form of “grasp” — hold firmly

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "I saw you hit him."

hitverbUS /hɪt/

cause to move by striking

From this reading "I saw you hit him."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I saw you hit him."

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

killedverbUS /kɪld/

past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

From this reading "And with that blow I killed him.

killingnounUS /ˈkɪlɪŋ/

an event that causes someone to die

From this reading If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.

meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

murderverbUS /ˈmɜːrdər/

kill intentionally and with premeditation

From this reading If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

occurredverbUS /əˈkɜːrd/

inflected form of “occur” — come to pass

From this reading "Then, from your post of vantage, you did not see all that occurred?"

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Then, from your post of vantage, you did not see all that occurred?"

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

postverbUS /poʊst/

affix in a public place or for public notice

From this reading "Then, from your post of vantage, you did not see all that occurred?"

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

puzzledadjectiveUS /ˈpʌzəld/

filled with bewilderment

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

regardedverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading "I saw you hit him."

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "Then, from your post of vantage, you did not see all that occurred?"

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

speakverbUS /spiːk/

express in speech

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.

TELEGRAMnounUS /ˈteləɡræm/

a message transmitted by telegraph

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

that's

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

From this reading If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading "Then, from your post of vantage, you did not see all that occurred?"

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

vantagenounUS /ˈvæntədʒ/

place or situation affording some advantage (especially a comprehensive view or commanding perspective)

From this reading "Then, from your post of vantage, you did not see all that occurred?"

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading THE TELEGRAM Mr Arnecliffe regarded the girl, in silence, for a second or two, as if puzzled; when he did speak it seemed, from the question he put, that he had not grasped her meaning.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "And with that blow I killed him.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading If, by your words, you mean that this was a case in which killing was no murder--that's another story.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Then, from your post of vantage, you did not see all that occurred?"

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Then, from your post of vantage, you did not see all that occurred?"

Chapter 22 of The Coward Behind the Curtain by Richard Marsh holds 229 sentences, grouped into 46 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.

What does chapter 22 of The Coward Behind the Curtain contain?

Chapter 22 holds 229 sentences of The Coward Behind the Curtain, unabridged, divided into 46 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 22 of The Coward Behind the Curtain by Richard Marsh exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 229 sentences, grouped into 46 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 22 of The Coward Behind the Curtain?

Work through the 46 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 46 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 22 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 22 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 Coward Behind the Curtain

Common questions about reading The Coward Behind the Curtain by Richard Marsh on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Coward Behind the Curtain?

Yes. All 4434 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40347 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Coward Behind the Curtain is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40347, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Coward Behind the Curtain take to read?

About 369 minutes of reading across 887 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Coward Behind the Curtain section by section

How to work through The Coward Behind the Curtain section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Coward Behind the Curtain 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 Coward Behind the Curtain

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Coward Behind the Curtain, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Source
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Coward Behind the Curtain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Diphthong
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Coward Behind the Curtain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Represented
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Coward Behind the Curtain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Miracle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Coward Behind the Curtain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.