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The Disappearance of Kimball Webb
The Disappearance of Kimball Webb

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb is here in full — 345 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/69 · 5 lines
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ELSIE’S BIRTHDAY It was the twenty-ninth of June.
Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.
When Elsie had asked his name he had said Pike, on the spur of the moment, and Pike he had remained to her.
Elsie was not at all uncomfortably housed.
She had comforts if not luxuries.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Disappearance of Kimball Webb

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb is here in full — 345 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/69 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ELSIE’S BIRTHDAY It was the twenty-ninth of June.
Line 2
Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.
Line 3
When Elsie had asked his name he had said Pike, on the spur of the moment, and Pike he had remained to her.
Line 4
Elsie was not at all uncomfortably housed.
Line 5
She had comforts if not luxuries.
/ʃiː hæd ˈkʌmfərts ɪf nɑːt ˈlʌɡʒəriz/

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.

Bass noun US /bæs/

the lowest part of the musical range

From this reading “Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.”

confinement noun US /kənˈfaɪnmənt/

concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child

From this reading “Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.”

housed verb US /haʊzd/

past form of “house” — contain or cover

From this reading “Elsie was not at all uncomfortably housed.”

luxuries noun US /ˈlʌɡʒəriz/

plural of “luxury” — something that is an indulgence rather than a necessity

From this reading “She had comforts if not luxuries.”

Pike noun US /paɪk/

a broad highway designed for high-speed traffic

From this reading “Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.”

Powell noun US /ˈpaʊəl/

United States general who was the first African American to serve as chief of staff; later served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush (born 1937)

From this reading “Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.”

uncomfortably adverb US /ənˈkʌmfərtəbli/

in physical discomfort

From this reading “Elsie was not at all uncomfortably housed.”

Whiting noun US /ˈwaɪtɪŋ/

flesh of a cod-like fish of the Atlantic waters of Europe

From this reading “Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.”

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.

in reality preposition + noun

used to imply that one would expect the fact to be the opposite of that stated; surprisingly

In this reading “Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.”

at the mercy preposition + article + noun counted as “at … mercy”

In this reading “Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.”

All words in this reading · 56

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 Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

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 Elsie was not at all uncomfortably housed.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading When Elsie had asked his name he had said Pike, on the spur of the moment, and Pike he had remained to her.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

BassnounUS /bæs/

the lowest part of the musical range

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

BIRTHDAYnounUS /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/

an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)

From this reading ELSIE’S BIRTHDAY It was the twenty-ninth of June.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

comfortsnounUS /ˈkʌmfərts/

things that make you comfortable and at ease

From this reading She had comforts if not luxuries.

confinementnounUS /kənˈfaɪnmənt/

concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

Elsie

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

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

ELSIE'S

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

From this reading ELSIE’S BIRTHDAY It was the twenty-ninth of June.

factotumnoun

a servant employed to do a variety of jobs

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

Fenn

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

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

generaladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading When Elsie had asked his name he had said Pike, on the spur of the moment, and Pike he had remained to her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading When Elsie had asked his name he had said Pike, on the spur of the moment, and Pike he had remained to her.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading When Elsie had asked his name he had said Pike, on the spur of the moment, and Pike he had remained to her.

housedverbUS /haʊzd/

past form of “house” — contain or cover

From this reading Elsie was not at all uncomfortably housed.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading She had comforts if not luxuries.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading ELSIE’S BIRTHDAY It was the twenty-ninth of June.

JunenounUS /dʒuːn/

the month following May and preceding July

From this reading ELSIE’S BIRTHDAY It was the twenty-ninth of June.

luxuriesnounUS /ˈlʌɡʒəriz/

plural of “luxury” — something that is an indulgence rather than a necessity

From this reading She had comforts if not luxuries.

mercynounUS /ˈmɜːrsi/

leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading When Elsie had asked his name he had said Pike, on the spur of the moment, and Pike he had remained to her.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading When Elsie had asked his name he had said Pike, on the spur of the moment, and Pike he had remained to her.

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

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

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Elsie was not at all uncomfortably housed.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading ELSIE’S BIRTHDAY It was the twenty-ninth of June.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading When Elsie had asked his name he had said Pike, on the spur of the moment, and Pike he had remained to her.

PikenounUS /paɪk/

a broad highway designed for high-speed traffic

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

PowellnounUS /ˈpaʊəl/

United States general who was the first African American to serve as chief of staff; later served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush (born 1937)

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

realitynounUS /ˌriːˈælətiː/

all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

remainedverbUS /rɪˈmeɪnd/

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading When Elsie had asked his name he had said Pike, on the spur of the moment, and Pike he had remained to her.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading When Elsie had asked his name he had said Pike, on the spur of the moment, and Pike he had remained to her.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

spurnounUS /spɜːr/

a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something

From this reading When Elsie had asked his name he had said Pike, on the spur of the moment, and Pike he had remained to her.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading ELSIE’S BIRTHDAY It was the twenty-ninth of June.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading When Elsie had asked his name he had said Pike, on the spur of the moment, and Pike he had remained to her.

twenty-ninthadjective

coming next after the twenty-eighth in position

From this reading ELSIE’S BIRTHDAY It was the twenty-ninth of June.

uncomfortablyadverbUS /ənˈkʌmfərtəbli/

in physical discomfort

From this reading Elsie was not at all uncomfortably housed.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

valetnounUS /væˈleɪ/

a manservant who acts as a personal attendant to his employer

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading ELSIE’S BIRTHDAY It was the twenty-ninth of June.

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When Elsie had asked his name he had said Pike, on the spur of the moment, and Pike he had remained to her.

WhitingnounUS /ˈwaɪtɪŋ/

flesh of a cod-like fish of the Atlantic waters of Europe

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Elsie Powell had been nearly a week in confinement, under the care and at the mercy of the woman she called Mrs. Pike, but who was in reality the wife of Bass, the valet and general factotum of Fenn Whiting.

Chapter 18 of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb by Rowland Wright holds 345 sentences, grouped into 69 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 18 of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb contain?

Chapter 18 holds 345 sentences of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb, unabridged, divided into 69 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb by Rowland Wright exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 345 sentences, grouped into 69 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 18 of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb?

Work through the 69 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 69 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 Disappearance of Kimball Webb

Common questions about reading The Disappearance of Kimball Webb by Rowland Wright on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb?

Yes. All 4813 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59060 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #59060, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Disappearance of Kimball Webb take to read?

About 401 minutes of reading across 963 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Disappearance of Kimball Webb

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Disappearance of Kimball Webb, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Kimball
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Disappear
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mysteriously
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Though
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.