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The Filigree Ball
The Filigree Ball

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Filigree Ball is here in full — 1634 sentences across 327 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/326 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE HOUSE OF DOOM XIX.
IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.
But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.
Of course, under such conditions it was difficult to find my man on the instant.
Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Filigree Ball

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Filigree Ball is here in full — 1634 sentences across 327 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/326 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE HOUSE OF DOOM XIX.
Line 2
IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.
/ɪn ˈtæmpə wen aɪ ˈstɑːrtɪd ɑːn ðɪs ˈdesprɪt sɜːrtʃ ˈæftər ə ˈwɪtnəs wɔːr hæd bɪn dɪˈklerd bʌt noʊ ədˈvæns æz jet ˈɔːrdərd ɑːn ˈkjuːbə/
Line 3
But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.
/bʌt ˈdʊrɪŋ maɪ ˈdʒɜːrni saʊθ ðə lɔːŋ ɪkˈspektəd ɪˈvent ˈhæpənd ənd ɑːn maɪ ərˈaɪvəl ɪn ˈtæmpə aɪ faʊnd ˌmaɪˈself ɪn ðə mɪdst ʌv dɪˈpɑːrtʃər ənd ˈevriθɪŋ ɪn kənˈfjuːʒən/
Line 4
Of course, under such conditions it was difficult to find my man on the instant.
/ʌv kɔːrs ˈʌndər sʌtʃ kənˈdɪʃənz ɪt wɑːz ˈdɪfəkəlt tuː faɪnd maɪ mæn ɑːn ðə ˈɪnstənt/
Line 5
Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.
/ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl ˌɪnˈkwaɪəriz ˈjiːldɪd noʊ rɪˈzʌlt ənd ɪn ðə ˈæbsəns ʌv ˈeni wʌn huː wʊd ɔːr kʊd ɡɪv miː ðə dɪˈzaɪərd ˌɪnfərˈmeɪʃən aɪ ˈwɑːndərd frʌm wʌn end ʌv ðə kæmp tuː ðə ˈʌðər tɪl aɪ ˈfaɪnəli ɪnˈkaʊntərd ə ˈpetiː ˈɔːfəsər huː ɡeɪv saɪnz ʌv ˈbiːɪŋ ə rʌf ˈraɪdər/

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.

Cuba noun US /ˈkjuːbə/

a communist state in the Caribbean on the island of Cuba

From this reading “IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.”

doom verb US /duːm/

decree or designate beforehand

From this reading “THE HOUSE OF DOOM XIX.”

encountered verb US /ɪnˈkaʊntərd/

past form of “encounter” — come together

From this reading “Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.”

Innumerable adjective US /ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl/

too numerous to be counted

From this reading “Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.”

inquiries noun US /ˌɪnˈkwaɪəriz/

plural of “inquiry” — a search for knowledge

From this reading “Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.”

petty adjective US /ˈpetiː/

inferior in rank or status

From this reading “Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.”

Rider noun US /ˈraɪdər/

a traveler who actively rides an animal (as a horse or camel)

From this reading “Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.”

tampa noun US /ˈtæmpə/

a resort city in western Florida; located on Tampa Bay on the Gulf of Mexico

From this reading “IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.”

All words in this reading · 85

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 IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

absencenounUS /ˈæbsəns/

the state of being absent

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

advanceverbUS /ədˈvæns/

move forward, also in the metaphorical sense

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

arrivalnounUS /ərˈaɪvəl/

accomplishment of an objective

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

campnounUS /kæmp/

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

conditionsnounUS /kənˈdɪʃənz/

the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process

From this reading Of course, under such conditions it was difficult to find my man on the instant.

confusionnounUS /kənˈfjuːʒən/

disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Of course, under such conditions it was difficult to find my man on the instant.

CubanounUS /ˈkjuːbə/

a communist state in the Caribbean on the island of Cuba

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

declaredadjectiveUS /dɪˈklerd/

made known or openly avowed

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

departurenounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

the act of departing

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

desiredadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪərd/

wanted intensely

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

desperateadjectiveUS /ˈdesprɪt/

arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

difficultadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfəkəlt/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading Of course, under such conditions it was difficult to find my man on the instant.

DOOMverbUS /duːm/

decree or designate beforehand

From this reading THE HOUSE OF DOOM XIX.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

encounteredverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntərd/

past form of “encounter” — come together

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

eventnounUS /ɪˈvent/

something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

expectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

finallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Of course, under such conditions it was difficult to find my man on the instant.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

HOUSEnounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading THE HOUSE OF DOOM XIX.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

informationnounUS /ˌɪnfərˈmeɪʃən/

a message received and understood

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

InnumerableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl/

too numerous to be counted

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

inquiriesnounUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪəriz/

plural of “inquiry” — a search for knowledge

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

instantnounUS /ˈɪnstənt/

a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)

From this reading Of course, under such conditions it was difficult to find my man on the instant.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Of course, under such conditions it was difficult to find my man on the instant.

journeyverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrni/

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Of course, under such conditions it was difficult to find my man on the instant.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

midstnounUS /mɪdst/

the location of something surrounded by other things

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE HOUSE OF DOOM XIX.

officernounUS /ˈɔːfəsər/

any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

orderedadjectiveUS /ˈɔːrdərd/

having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

pettyadjectiveUS /ˈpetiː/

inferior in rank or status

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

RidernounUS /ˈraɪdər/

a traveler who actively rides an animal (as a horse or camel)

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

RoughadjectiveUS /rʌf/

having or caused by an irregular surface

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

searchverbUS /sɜːrtʃ/

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

signsnounUS /saɪnz/

plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

southnounUS /saʊθ/

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading But during my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and everything in confusion.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Of course, under such conditions it was difficult to find my man on the instant.

TAMPAnounUS /ˈtæmpə/

a resort city in western Florida; located on Tampa Bay on the Gulf of Mexico

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE HOUSE OF DOOM XIX.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Of course, under such conditions it was difficult to find my man on the instant.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Of course, under such conditions it was difficult to find my man on the instant.

wanderedverbUS /ˈwɑːndərd/

past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Of course, under such conditions it was difficult to find my man on the instant.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

witnessnounUS /ˈwɪtnəs/

someone who sees an event and reports what happened

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

XIXnoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of eighteen and one

From this reading THE HOUSE OF DOOM XIX.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading IN TAMPA When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba.

yieldedverbUS /ˈjiːldɪd/

past form of “yield” — be the cause or source of

From this reading Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.

Chapter 3 of The Filigree Ball by Anna Katharine Green holds 1634 sentences, grouped into 327 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 3 of The Filigree Ball contain?

Chapter 3 holds 1634 sentences of The Filigree Ball, unabridged, divided into 327 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Filigree Ball by Anna Katharine Green exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 1634 sentences, grouped into 327 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 3 of The Filigree Ball?

Work through the 327 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 327 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Filigree Ball

Common questions about reading The Filigree Ball by Anna Katharine Green on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Filigree Ball?

Yes. All 4590 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2371 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Filigree Ball is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2371, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Filigree Ball take to read?

About 382 minutes of reading across 918 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Filigree Ball section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Filigree Ball 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 Filigree Ball

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

Forbidden
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Filigree Ball; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Moore
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Filigree Ball; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
House
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Filigree Ball; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Speaking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Filigree Ball; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.