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The Expressman and the Detective
The Expressman and the Detective

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The Expressman and the Detective is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Expressman and the Detective
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.
She said she would, and is coming down to the house, so I must hurry home."
"What a fool I am," thought De Forest, "I would rather have her go with me."
So he went to Cox's with Flora to offer his services.
Mrs. Maroney appeared troubled and excited.
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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 Expressman and the Detective

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The Expressman and the Detective 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
"I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.
Line 2
She said she would, and is coming down to the house, so I must hurry home."
/ʃiː sed ʃiː wʊd ənd ɪz ˈkʌmɪŋ daʊn tuː ðə haʊs soʊ aɪ mʌst ˈhɜːri hoʊm/
Line 3
"What a fool I am," thought De Forest, "I would rather have her go with me."
/wʌt ə fuːl aɪ æm θɔːt diː ˈfɔːrəst aɪ wʊd ˈræðər hæv hɜːr ɡoʊ wɪð miː/
Line 4
So he went to Cox's with Flora to offer his services.
/soʊ hiː went tuː ˈkɑːksɪz wɪð ˈflɔːrə tuː ˈɔːfər hɪz ˈsɜːrvəsəz/
Line 5
Mrs. Maroney appeared troubled and excited.

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.

Cox's noun US /ˈkɑːksɪz/

possessive form of “cox” — either of two related enzymes that control the production of prostaglandins and are blocked by aspirin

From this reading “So he went to Cox's with Flora to offer his services.”

excited adjective US /ɪkˈsaɪtəd/

(of persons) excessively affected by emotion

From this reading “Mrs. Maroney appeared troubled and excited.”

Flora noun US /ˈflɔːrə/

all the plant life in a particular region or period

From this reading “So he went to Cox's with Flora to offer his services.”

hurry noun US /ˈhɜːri/

a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry

From this reading “She said she would, and is coming down to the house, so I must hurry home."”

message noun US /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading “"I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.”

Philadelphia noun US /ˌfɪləˈdelfiə/

the largest city in Pennsylvania; located in the southeastern part of the state on the Delaware river; site of Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed; site of the University of Pennsylvania

From this reading “"I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.”

services noun US /ˈsɜːrvəsəz/

performance of duties or provision of space and equipment helpful to others

From this reading “So he went to Cox's with Flora to offer his services.”

troubled adjective US /ˈtrʌbəld/

characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need

From this reading “Mrs. Maroney appeared troubled and excited.”

All words in this reading · 51

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 "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "What a fool I am," thought De Forest, "I would rather have her go with me."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Mrs. Maroney appeared troubled and excited.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

askingnounUS /ˈæskɪŋ/

the verbal act of requesting

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading She said she would, and is coming down to the house, so I must hurry home."

Cox'snounUS /ˈkɑːksɪz/

possessive form of “cox” — either of two related enzymes that control the production of prostaglandins and are blocked by aspirin

From this reading So he went to Cox's with Flora to offer his services.

DenounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading "What a fool I am," thought De Forest, "I would rather have her go with me."

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading She said she would, and is coming down to the house, so I must hurry home."

excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtəd/

(of persons) excessively affected by emotion

From this reading Mrs. Maroney appeared troubled and excited.

FloranounUS /ˈflɔːrə/

all the plant life in a particular region or period

From this reading So he went to Cox's with Flora to offer his services.

foolnounUS /fuːl/

a person who lacks good judgment

From this reading "What a fool I am," thought De Forest, "I would rather have her go with me."

ForestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading "What a fool I am," thought De Forest, "I would rather have her go with me."

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "What a fool I am," thought De Forest, "I would rather have her go with me."

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading So he went to Cox's with Flora to offer his services.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading So he went to Cox's with Flora to offer his services.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading She said she would, and is coming down to the house, so I must hurry home."

hurrynounUS /ˈhɜːri/

a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry

From this reading She said she would, and is coming down to the house, so I must hurry home."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

Imbert

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

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

manounUS /mɑː/

informal terms for a mother

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

MadamnounUS /ˈmædəm/

a woman of refinement

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

Maroney

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

From this reading Mrs. Maroney appeared troubled and excited.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

messagenounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Mrs. Maroney appeared troubled and excited.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

offerverbUS /ˈɔːfər/

make available or accessible, provide or furnish

From this reading So he went to Cox's with Flora to offer his services.

PhiladelphianounUS /ˌfɪləˈdelfiə/

the largest city in Pennsylvania; located in the southeastern part of the state on the Delaware river; site of Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed; site of the University of Pennsylvania

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading "What a fool I am," thought De Forest, "I would rather have her go with me."

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

servicesnounUS /ˈsɜːrvəsəz/

performance of duties or provision of space and equipment helpful to others

From this reading So he went to Cox's with Flora to offer his services.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading She said she would, and is coming down to the house, so I must hurry home."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading She said she would, and is coming down to the house, so I must hurry home."

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading "What a fool I am," thought De Forest, "I would rather have her go with me."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

troubledadjectiveUS /ˈtrʌbəld/

characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need

From this reading Mrs. Maroney appeared troubled and excited.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading So he went to Cox's with Flora to offer his services.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What a fool I am," thought De Forest, "I would rather have her go with me."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "I must go right home," said she, "as ma is going to Philadelphia and sent me with a message to Madam Imbert, asking her to go too.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading She said she would, and is coming down to the house, so I must hurry home."

Chapter 9 of The Expressman and the Detective by Allan Pinkerton 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 9 of The Expressman and the Detective contain?

Chapter 9 holds 405 sentences of The Expressman and the Detective, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of The Expressman and the Detective by Allan Pinkerton 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 9 of The Expressman and the Detective?

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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Expressman and the Detective

Common questions about reading The Expressman and the Detective by Allan Pinkerton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Expressman and the Detective?

Yes. All 3741 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22155 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Expressman and the Detective is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #22155, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Expressman and the Detective take to read?

About 311 minutes of reading across 749 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Expressman and the Detective section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Expressman and the Detective 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 Expressman and the Detective

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Expressman and the Detective, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Allan
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Expressman and the Detective; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pinkerton's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Expressman and the Detective; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Detective
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Expressman and the Detective; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stories
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Expressman and the Detective; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.