Chapter 12 of The Deaves Affair is here in full — 276 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The Deaves Affair is here in full — 276 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette. "Oh, well, it can't last forever," he told himself. He found a seat near an open window where he could overhear the story. To his mind Corinna had not much of a talent for it. He thought he could have told a better one himself.
Chapter 12 of The Deaves Affair is here in full — 276 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/55 · 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.
finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking
From this reading “EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.”
brought low in spirit
From this reading “EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.”
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading “EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.”
for a limitless time
From this reading “"Oh, well, it can't last forever," he told himself.”
provided with artificial light
From this reading “EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.”
third-person singular of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading “EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.”
hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers
From this reading “He found a seat near an open window where he could overhear the story.”
natural abilities or qualities
From this reading “To his mind Corinna had not much of a talent for it.”
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 “He found a seat near an open window where he could overhear the story.”
In this reading “EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.”
move out of or depart from
In this reading “EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He found a seat near an open window where he could overhear the story.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading He thought he could have told a better one himself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Oh, well, it can't last forever," he told himself.
finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking
From this reading EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To his mind Corinna had not much of a talent for it.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He found a seat near an open window where he could overhear the story.
brought low in spirit
From this reading EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading To his mind Corinna had not much of a talent for it.
for a limitless time
From this reading "Oh, well, it can't last forever," he told himself.
set up or found
From this reading He found a seat near an open window where he could overhear the story.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading To his mind Corinna had not much of a talent for it.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He thought he could have told a better one himself.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Oh, well, it can't last forever," he told himself.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading "Oh, well, it can't last forever," he told himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading To his mind Corinna had not much of a talent for it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Oh, well, it can't last forever," he told himself.
immediately past
From this reading "Oh, well, it can't last forever," he told himself.
provided with artificial light
From this reading EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.
third-person singular of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading To his mind Corinna had not much of a talent for it.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading To his mind Corinna had not much of a talent for it.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading He found a seat near an open window where he could overhear the story.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading To his mind Corinna had not much of a talent for it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To his mind Corinna had not much of a talent for it.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, well, it can't last forever," he told himself.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He thought he could have told a better one himself.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading He found a seat near an open window where he could overhear the story.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.
hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers
From this reading He found a seat near an open window where he could overhear the story.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading He found a seat near an open window where he could overhear the story.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.
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 He found a seat near an open window where he could overhear the story.
natural abilities or qualities
From this reading To his mind Corinna had not much of a talent for it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He found a seat near an open window where he could overhear the story.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He thought he could have told a better one himself.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To his mind Corinna had not much of a talent for it.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading "Oh, well, it can't last forever," he told himself.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Oh, well, it can't last forever," he told himself.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading EVAN LOSES A ROUND Evan, somewhat crestfallen, went out on deck and lit a cigarette.
in or at the place that
From this reading He found a seat near an open window where he could overhear the story.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading He found a seat near an open window where he could overhear the story.
Chapter 12 of The Deaves Affair by Hulbert Footner holds 276 sentences, grouped into 56 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 12 holds 276 sentences of The Deaves Affair, unabridged, divided into 56 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Deaves Affair by Hulbert Footner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 276 sentences, grouped into 56 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 56 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 56 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 12 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 Deaves Affair by Hulbert Footner on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7031 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31361 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31361, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 585 minutes of reading across 1407 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Deaves Affair section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Deaves Affair 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 Deaves Affair, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
