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The Eames-Erskine case
The Eames-Erskine case

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Eames-Erskine case is here in full — 378 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By A. (Archibald) Fielding • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Eames-Erskine case
Context Illustration Reading 1/75 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.
It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.
“Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.
Something's missing.
Who have you got in your rooms that open on to the same balcony?”
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 Eames-Erskine case

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Eames-Erskine case is here in full — 378 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/75 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.
/ˈpɔɪntər laɪkt tuː biː ʌp wɪð ðə lɑːrk ðoʊ hiː spent hɪz taɪm ˈsʌmˈwʌt ˈdɪfrəntli/
Line 2
It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.
/ɪt wɑːz ˈberli sɪks əˈklɑːk nekst ˈmɔːrnɪŋ wen hiː tʊk hɪmˈself tuː ðə ˈmɑːrvəl hoʊˈtel/
Line 3
“Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.
Line 4
Something's missing.
Line 5
Who have you got in your rooms that open on to the same balcony?”
/huː hæv juː ɡɑːt ɪn jɔːr ruːmz ðæt ˈoʊ.pən ɑːn tuː ðə seɪm ˈbælkəni/

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.

balcony noun US /ˈbælkəni/

an upper floor projecting from the rear over the main floor in an auditorium

From this reading ““Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
differently adverb US /ˈdɪfrəntli/

in another and different manner

From this reading “Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Inspector noun US /ˌɪnˈspektər/

a high ranking police officer

From this reading ““Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lark noun US /lɑːrk/

North American songbirds having a yellow breast

From this reading “Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Marvel verb US /ˈmɑːrvəl/

be amazed at

From this reading “It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Pointer noun US /ˈpɔɪntər/

a mark to indicate a direction or relation

From this reading “Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strictly adverb US /ˈstrɪktli/

restricted to something

From this reading ““Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
well-known adjective US /ˈwelˈnoʊn/

widely or fully known

From this reading ““Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.”

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.

next morning adjective + noun

In this reading “It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.”

52,521 times in 426,211 chapters
next door adjective + noun

at or in or to the adjacent residence

In this reading ““Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.”

5,014 times in 426,211 chapters
o'clock next adverb + adjective

In this reading “It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.”

496 times in 426,211 chapters
some trouble adjective + noun

In this reading ““Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.”

3,170 times in 426,211 chapters

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 “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
balconynounUS /ˈbælkəni/

an upper floor projecting from the rear over the main floor in an auditorium

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
barelyadverbUS /ˈberli/

only a very short time before

From this reading It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
booking-clerk

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

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

Pending verification
brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DetectivenounUS /dɪˈtektɪv/

a police officer who investigates crimes

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
differentlyadverbUS /ˈdɪfrəntli/

in another and different manner

From this reading Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GayadjectiveUS /ɡeɪ/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

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 Who have you got in your rooms that open on to the same balcony?”

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

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

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Who have you got in your rooms that open on to the same balcony?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HotelnounUS /hoʊˈtel/

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
InspectornounUS /ˌɪnˈspektər/

a high ranking police officer

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
larknounUS /lɑːrk/

North American songbirds having a yellow breast

From this reading Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
likedadjectiveUS /laɪkt/

found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form

From this reading Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MarvelverbUS /ˈmɑːrvəl/

be amazed at

From this reading It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
missingadjectiveUS /ˈmɪsɪŋ/

not able to be found

From this reading Something's missing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Who have you got in your rooms that open on to the same balcony?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Who have you got in your rooms that open on to the same balcony?”

Velmora curated lexicon
ourselvespronounUS /aʊərˈselvz/

used when we are both doing the action and receiving it

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PointernounUS /ˈpɔɪntər/

a mark to indicate a direction or relation

From this reading Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomsnounUS /ruːmz/

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading Who have you got in your rooms that open on to the same balcony?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading Who have you got in your rooms that open on to the same balcony?”

Velmora curated lexicon
sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Something's

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

From this reading Something's missing.

Pending verification
somewhatadverbUS /ˈsʌmˈwʌt/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strictlyadverbUS /ˈstrɪktli/

restricted to something

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Who have you got in your rooms that open on to the same balcony?”

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 Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
there's

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

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

Pending verification
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
well-knownadjectiveUS /ˈwelˈnoʊn/

widely or fully known

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It was barely six o'clock next morning when he took himself to the Marvel Hotel.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Pointer liked to be up with the lark though he spent his time somewhat differently.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
YardnounUS /jɑːrd/

a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading “Look here, Gay”—the Detective Inspector was well-known to the booking-clerk, who had a brother at the Yard—“strictly between ourselves, there's some trouble in a balcony room next door.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Who have you got in your rooms that open on to the same balcony?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Who have you got in your rooms that open on to the same balcony?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 2 of The Eames-Erskine case by A. (Archibald) Fielding holds 378 sentences, grouped into 76 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 2 of The Eames-Erskine case contain?

Chapter 2 holds 378 sentences of The Eames-Erskine case, unabridged, divided into 76 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Eames-Erskine case by A. (Archibald) Fielding exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 378 sentences, grouped into 76 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 2 of The Eames-Erskine case?

Work through the 76 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 76 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Eames-Erskine case

Common questions about reading The Eames-Erskine case by A. (Archibald) Fielding on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Eames-Erskine case?

Yes. All 4584 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75146 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Eames-Erskine case is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #75146, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Eames-Erskine case take to read?

About 382 minutes of reading across 917 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Eames-Erskine case section by section

How to work through The Eames-Erskine case section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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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 Eames-Erskine case

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Eames-Erskine case, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Opened
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Eames-Erskine case; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Noiselessly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Eames-Erskine case; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Plain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Eames-Erskine case; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clothes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Eames-Erskine case; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.