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The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure
The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure

Chapter XXVI

Chapter 26 of The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Philip Verrill Mighels • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.
What a strange concatenation of events!
The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!
But that human voice—what could it mean?
I began to speculate and to reason from deduction.
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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 Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure

Chapter XXVI

Chapter 26 of The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.
/ə ˈseɪkrəd dɪsˈɡaɪz bɪˈfɔːr aɪ ɡɑːt hoʊm aɪ hæd ˈæmpəl taɪm ɪn wɪtʃ tuː θɪŋk/
Line 2
What a strange concatenation of events!
/wʌt ə streɪndʒ kənˌkætəˈneɪʃən ʌv ɪˈvents/
Line 3
The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!
/ðə ˈaʊtlet dɪˈskʌvərd dɪˈlɪvərəns ˈɔːlmoʊst əˈʃʊrd miː ənd ðen tuː faɪnd ðə kæmp ʌv maɪ ˈbɪtərəst ˈenəmi ɑːn ðə ˈveri bæŋk ʌv maɪ ˈɡeɪtweɪ tuː ˈfriːdəm/
Line 4
But that human voice—what could it mean?
Line 5
I began to speculate and to reason from deduction.
/aɪ bɪˈɡæn tuː ˈspekjəleɪt ənd tuː ˈriːzən frʌm dɪˈdʌkʃən/

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.

bitterest adjective US /ˈbɪtərəst/

superlative of “bitter” — marked by strong resentment or cynicism

From this reading “The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
concatenation noun US /kənˌkætəˈneɪʃən/

the state of being linked together as in a chain; union in a linked series

From this reading “What a strange concatenation of events!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deduction noun US /dɪˈdʌkʃən/

a reduction in the gross amount on which a tax is calculated; reduces taxes by the percentage fixed for the taxpayer's income bracket

From this reading “I began to speculate and to reason from deduction.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deliverance noun US /dɪˈlɪvərəns/

recovery or preservation from loss or danger

From this reading “The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
disguise noun US /dɪsˈɡaɪz/

A means of altering one's appearance to conceal one's identity.

From this reading “A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.”

Velmora curated lexicon
gateway noun US /ˈɡeɪtweɪ/

an entrance that can be closed by a gate

From this reading “The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
outlet noun US /ˈaʊtlet/

a place of business for retailing goods

From this reading “The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speculate verb US /ˈspekjəleɪt/

to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds

From this reading “I began to speculate and to reason from deduction.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

bitterest enemy adjective + noun counted as “bitter enemy”

In this reading “The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!”

940 times in 426,212 chapters
ample time adjective + noun

In this reading “A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.”

1,190 times in 426,212 chapters
human voice adjective + noun

In this reading “But that human voice—what could it mean?”

2,157 times in 426,212 chapters
got home verb + noun counted as “get home”

In this reading “A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.”

11,950 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 50

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 A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ampleadjectiveUS /ˈæmpəl/

more than enough in size or scope or capacity

From this reading A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
assuredadjectiveUS /əˈʃʊrd/

marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
banknounUS /bæŋk/

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BeforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading I began to speculate and to reason from deduction.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bitterestadjectiveUS /ˈbɪtərəst/

superlative of “bitter” — marked by strong resentment or cynicism

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But that human voice—what could it mean?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
campnounUS /kæmp/

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
concatenationnounUS /kənˌkætəˈneɪʃən/

the state of being linked together as in a chain; union in a linked series

From this reading What a strange concatenation of events!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading But that human voice—what could it mean?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
deductionnounUS /dɪˈdʌkʃən/

a reduction in the gross amount on which a tax is calculated; reduces taxes by the percentage fixed for the taxpayer's income bracket

From this reading I began to speculate and to reason from deduction.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deliverancenounUS /dɪˈlɪvərəns/

recovery or preservation from loss or danger

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discoveredadjectiveUS /dɪˈskʌvərd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DISGUISEnounUS /dɪsˈɡaɪz/

A means of altering one's appearance to conceal one's identity.

From this reading A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.

Velmora curated lexicon
enemynounUS /ˈenəmi/

an opposing military force

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eventsnounUS /ɪˈvents/

plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading What a strange concatenation of events!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
freedomnounUS /ˈfriːdəm/

the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I began to speculate and to reason from deduction.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
gatewaynounUS /ˈɡeɪtweɪ/

an entrance that can be closed by a gate

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading But that human voice—what could it mean?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But that human voice—what could it mean?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading But that human voice—what could it mean?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading What a strange concatenation of events!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outletnounUS /ˈaʊtlet/

a place of business for retailing goods

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading I began to speculate and to reason from deduction.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SACREDadjectiveUS /ˈseɪkrəd/

concerned with religion or religious purposes

From this reading A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speculateverbUS /ˈspekjəleɪt/

to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds

From this reading I began to speculate and to reason from deduction.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading What a strange concatenation of events!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But that human voice—what could it mean?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The outlet discovered, deliverance almost assured me, and then to find the camp of my bitterest enemy on the very bank of my gateway to freedom!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading But that human voice—what could it mean?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What a strange concatenation of events!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading A SACRED DISGUISE Before I got home I had ample time in which to think.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 26 of The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure by Philip Verrill Mighels holds 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 26 of The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure contain?

Chapter 26 holds 107 sentences of The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 26 of The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure by Philip Verrill Mighels exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 26 of The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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 26 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 26 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 Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure

Common questions about reading The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure by Philip Verrill Mighels on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure?

Yes. All 3849 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60860 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #60860, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure take to read?

About 320 minutes of reading across 770 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure section by section

How to work through The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure 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 Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Crystal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sceptre
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Adventure
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crystal Sceptre: A Story of Adventure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.