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The Florentine Dagger
The Florentine Dagger

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Florentine Dagger is here in full — 476 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Florentine Dagger
Context Illustration Reading 1/95 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?
A climax!
Florence Ballau....
There had been innuendoes in the press.
She arose—a figure out of the depths of melodrama.
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 Florentine Dagger

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Florentine Dagger is here in full — 476 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/95 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?
Line 2
A climax!
/ə ˈklaɪmæks/
Line 3
Florence Ballau....
Line 4
There had been innuendoes in the press.
/ðer hæd bɪn ˌɪnjuːˈendoʊz ɪn ðə pres/
Line 5
She arose—a figure out of the depths of melodrama.

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.

asses noun US /ˈæsəz/

plural of “ass” — the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading “LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?”

attaches noun US /əˈtætʃɪz/

plural of “attache” — a specialist assigned to the staff of a diplomatic mission

From this reading “LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?”

climax noun US /ˈklaɪmæks/

the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding

From this reading “A climax!”

innuendoes noun US /ˌɪnjuːˈendoʊz/

plural of “innuendo” — an indirect (and usually malicious) implication

From this reading “There had been innuendoes in the press.”

Medici noun US /meˈdiːsi/

aristocratic Italian family of powerful merchants and bankers who ruled Florence in the 15th century

From this reading “LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?”

melodrama noun US /ˈmelədrɑːmə/

an extravagant comedy in which action is more salient than characterization

From this reading “She arose—a figure out of the depths of melodrama.”

removes noun US /riˈmuːvz/

plural of “remove” — degree of figurative distance or separation

From this reading “LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?”

salamanders noun US /ˌsæləˈmændərz/

plural of “salamander” — any of various typically terrestrial amphibians that resemble lizards and that return to water only to breed

From this reading “LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?”

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.

for a moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

In this reading “LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?”

blew out verb + adjective counted as “blow out”

melt, break, or become otherwise unusable

In this reading “LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?”

All words in this reading · 47

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 LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

aroseverbUS /ərˈoʊz/

inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape

From this reading She arose—a figure out of the depths of melodrama.

assesnounUS /ˈæsəz/

plural of “ass” — the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

attachesnounUS /əˈtætʃɪz/

plural of “attache” — a specialist assigned to the staff of a diplomatic mission

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

Ballau

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

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading There had been innuendoes in the press.

blewverbUS /bluː/

inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

BLOODnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

candlenounUS /ˈkændəl/

stick of wax with a wick in the middle

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

climaxnounUS /ˈklaɪmæks/

the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding

From this reading A climax!

DenounUS /diː/

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

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

depthsnounUS /depθs/

(plural) the deepest and most remote part

From this reading She arose—a figure out of the depths of melodrama.

detectivenounUS /dɪˈtektɪv/

a police officer who investigates crimes

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

disturbingadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɜːrbɪŋ/

causing distress or worry or anxiety

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

earsnounUS /ɪrz/

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading She arose—a figure out of the depths of melodrama.

FlorencenounUS /ˈflɔːrəns/

a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

glimpsenounUS /ɡlɪmps/

a quick look

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading There had been innuendoes in the press.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

incredibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkredəbəl/

beyond belief or understanding

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

innuendoesnounUS /ˌɪnjuːˈendoʊz/

plural of “innuendo” — an indirect (and usually malicious) implication

From this reading There had been innuendoes in the press.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

Julien

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

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

LABYRINTHS

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

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

maskverbUS /mæsk/

hide under a false appearance

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

MedicinounUS /meˈdiːsi/

aristocratic Italian family of powerful merchants and bankers who ruled Florence in the 15th century

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

melodramanounUS /ˈmelədrɑːmə/

an extravagant comedy in which action is more salient than characterization

From this reading She arose—a figure out of the depths of melodrama.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

pairnounUS /per/

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

pressverbUS /pres/

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading There had been innuendoes in the press.

removesnounUS /riˈmuːvz/

plural of “remove” — degree of figurative distance or separation

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

salamandersnounUS /ˌsæləˈmændərz/

plural of “salamander” — any of various typically terrestrial amphibians that resemble lizards and that return to water only to breed

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She arose—a figure out of the depths of melodrama.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There had been innuendoes in the press.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading LABYRINTHS OF BLOOD In which a detective attaches a pair of asses’ ears to his head—In which Julien De Medici removes for a moment a mask—In which a glimpse, incredible and disturbing, is caught of the soul of Florence Ballau—Who blew out the candle of the salamanders?

Chapter 6 of The Florentine Dagger by Ben Hecht holds 476 sentences, grouped into 96 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 6 of The Florentine Dagger contain?

Chapter 6 holds 476 sentences of The Florentine Dagger, unabridged, divided into 96 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of The Florentine Dagger by Ben Hecht exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 476 sentences, grouped into 96 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 6 of The Florentine Dagger?

Work through the 96 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 96 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Florentine Dagger

Common questions about reading The Florentine Dagger by Ben Hecht on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Florentine Dagger?

Yes. All 5316 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59428 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Florentine Dagger is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #59428, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Florentine Dagger take to read?

About 443 minutes of reading across 1064 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Florentine Dagger section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 15 chapters of The Florentine Dagger 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 Florentine Dagger

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

Velvet
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Florentine Dagger; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Souls
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Florentine Dagger; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Containing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Florentine Dagger; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nervous
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Florentine Dagger; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.