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The Destroying Angel
The Destroying Angel

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Destroying Angel is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Destroying Angel
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.
See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.
With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.
Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.
The scene faltered perceptibly Whitaker felt land beneath his feet "I do not love you.
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 Destroying Angel

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Destroying Angel is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.
Line 2
See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.
Line 3
With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.
Line 4
Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.
Line 5
The scene faltered perceptibly Whitaker felt land beneath his feet "I do not love you.

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.

archive noun US /ˈɑːr.kaɪv/

A collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people.

From this reading “Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.”

available adjective US /əˈveɪləbəl/

obtainable or accessible and ready for use or service

From this reading “Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.”

http noun US /ˌeɪtʃtiːtiːˈpiː/

a protocol (utilizing TCP) to transfer hypertext requests and information between servers and browsers

From this reading “See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.”

Illustrations noun US /ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz/

plural of “illustration” — artwork that helps make something clear or attractive

From this reading “With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.”

Internet noun US /ˈɪntərnet/

a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange

From this reading “Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.”

Keller noun US /ˈkelər/

United States lecturer and writer who was blind and deaf from the age of 19 months

From this reading “With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.”

Libraries noun US /ˈlaɪbreriːz/

plural of “library” — a room where books are kept

From this reading “Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.”

widened verb US /ˈwaɪdənd/

past form of “widen” — become broader or wider or more extensive

From this reading “Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.”

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.

Four Illustrations noun + noun counted as “four illustration”

In this reading “With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.”

original pages adjective + noun counted as “original page”

In this reading “Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.”

All words in this reading · 64

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.

00

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

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

1912

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

From this reading With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.

AmericannounUS /əˈmerəkən/

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.

ArchivenounUS /ˈɑːr.kaɪv/

A collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people.

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

ArthurnounUS /ˈɑːrθər/

elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.

AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

availableadjectiveUS /əˈveɪləbəl/

obtainable or accessible and ready for use or service

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

Bandboxnoun

a light cylindrical box for holding light articles of attire (especially hats)

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

BellnounUS /bel/

a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading The scene faltered perceptibly Whitaker felt land beneath his feet "I do not love you.

BowlnounUS /boʊl/

a round vessel that is open at the top; used chiefly for holding food or liquids

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

BrassnounUS /bræs/

an alloy of copper and zinc

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

BronzenounUS /brɑːnz/

an alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements; also any copper-base alloy containing other elements in place of tin

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.

CynthianounUS /ˈsɪnθiə/

(Greek mythology) the virgin goddess of the hunt and the Moon; daughter of Leto and twin sister of Apollo; identified with Roman Diana

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

destroyingangel

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

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

detailsnounUS /dɪˈteɪlz/

true confidential information

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

dilating

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

From this reading Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading The scene faltered perceptibly Whitaker felt land beneath his feet "I do not love you.

droppedverbUS /drɑːpt/

inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground

From this reading Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.

Etc

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

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.

falteredverbUS /ˈfɑːltərd/

past form of “falter” — be unsure or weak

From this reading The scene faltered perceptibly Whitaker felt land beneath his feet "I do not love you.

fastenedadjectiveUS /ˈfæsənd/

firmly closed or secured

From this reading Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading The scene faltered perceptibly Whitaker felt land beneath his feet "I do not love you.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading The scene faltered perceptibly Whitaker felt land beneath his feet "I do not love you.

FournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.

httpnounUS /ˌeɪtʃtiːtiːˈpiː/

a protocol (utilizing TCP) to transfer hypertext requests and information between servers and browsers

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.

IllustrationsnounUS /ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz/

plural of “illustration” — artwork that helps make something clear or attractive

From this reading With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.

ImagesnounUS /ˈɪmədʒəz/

plural of “image” — an iconic mental representation

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

InternetnounUS /ˈɪntərnet/

a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

jawverbUS /dʒɔː/

talk socially without exchanging too much information

From this reading Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.

KellernounUS /ˈkelər/

United States lecturer and writer who was blind and deaf from the age of 19 months

From this reading With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading The scene faltered perceptibly Whitaker felt land beneath his feet "I do not love you.

LibrariesnounUS /ˈlaɪbreriːz/

plural of “library” — a room where books are kept

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading The scene faltered perceptibly Whitaker felt land beneath his feet "I do not love you.

MinutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The scene faltered perceptibly Whitaker felt land beneath his feet "I do not love you.

OctobernounUS /ɑːkˈtoʊbər/

the month following September and preceding November

From this reading With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

org

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

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

originaladjectiveUS /ərˈɪdʒənəl/

preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

pagesnounUS /ˈpeɪdʒəz/

plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

perceptiblyadverb

in a noticeable manner

From this reading The scene faltered perceptibly Whitaker felt land beneath his feet "I do not love you.

pitynounUS /ˈpɪti/

a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others

From this reading Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.

PublishedadjectiveUS /ˈpʌblɪʃt/

prepared and printed for distribution and sale

From this reading With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.

scenenounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading The scene faltered perceptibly Whitaker felt land beneath his feet "I do not love you.

SeeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.

vanciala

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

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

Whitaker

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

From this reading The scene faltered perceptibly Whitaker felt land beneath his feet "I do not love you.

Whitaker's

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

From this reading Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.

widenedverbUS /ˈwaɪdənd/

past form of “widen” — become broader or wider or more extensive

From this reading Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading With Four Illustrations by Arthur I. Keller Published, October, 1912.

wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity Her eyes fastened dilating, upon his.

wwwnoun

computer network consisting of a collection of internet sites that offer text and graphics and sound and animation resources through the hypertext transfer protocol

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/destroyingangel00vanciala Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading The scene faltered perceptibly Whitaker felt land beneath his feet "I do not love you.

Chapter 1 of The Destroying Angel by Louis Joseph Vance holds 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 1 of The Destroying Angel contain?

Chapter 1 holds 405 sentences of The Destroying Angel, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Destroying Angel by Louis Joseph Vance exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 1 of The Destroying Angel?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Destroying Angel

Common questions about reading The Destroying Angel by Louis Joseph Vance on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Destroying Angel?

Yes. All 5266 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32302 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Destroying Angel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32302, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Destroying Angel take to read?

About 438 minutes of reading across 1054 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Destroying Angel section by section

How to work through The Destroying Angel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Destroying Angel 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 Destroying Angel

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Destroying Angel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Images
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Destroying Angel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Original
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Destroying Angel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pages
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Destroying Angel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Available
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Destroying Angel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.