Chapter 12 of The Florentine Dagger is here in full — 489 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The Florentine Dagger is here in full — 489 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story. Donovan, the doorman, greeted him. “Good morning,” he said. “There’s quite a crowd, sir.” De Medici nodded.
Chapter 12 of The Florentine Dagger is here in full — 489 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/97 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
plural of “bidder” — someone who makes an offer
From this reading “THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.”
plural of “buyer” — a person who buys
From this reading “THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.”
-ing form of “cackle” — talk or utter in a cackling manner
From this reading “THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.”
plural of “candlestick” — a holder with sockets for candles
From this reading “THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.”
someone who guards an entrance
From this reading “Donovan, the doorman, greeted him.”
aristocratic Italian family of powerful merchants and bankers who ruled Florence in the 15th century
From this reading “THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.”
third-person singular of “pursue” — carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
From this reading “THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.”
a place or scene of great or strange beauty or wonder
From this reading “THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.”
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.
a woman who is old
In this reading “THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.”
available for purchase
In this reading “THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
plural of “bidder” — someone who makes an offer
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
plural of “buyer” — a person who buys
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
-ing form of “cackle” — talk or utter in a cackling manner
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
plural of “candlestick” — a holder with sockets for candles
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading “There’s quite a crowd, sir.”
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Donovan, the doorman, greeted him.
someone who guards an entrance
From this reading Donovan, the doorman, greeted him.
creating or arousing excitement
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “Good morning,” he said.
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading Donovan, the doorman, greeted him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Good morning,” he said.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Donovan, the doorman, greeted him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
the sound of laughing
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
aristocratic Italian family of powerful merchants and bankers who ruled Florence in the 15th century
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading “Good morning,” he said.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading De Medici nodded.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
the acquisition of something for payment
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
third-person singular of “pursue” — carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading “There’s quite a crowd, sir.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Good morning,” he said.
a particular instance of selling
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
term of address for a man
From this reading “There’s quite a crowd, sir.”
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “There’s quite a crowd, sir.”
plural of “treasure” — accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
a place or scene of great or strange beauty or wonder
From this reading THE WOMAN WITH THE CACKLING LAUGH Treasures for sale—Bidders and buyers and candlesticks—In which an old woman makes an exciting purchase—In which Julien De Medici pursues an aged Alice in Wonderland—The beginning of a story.
Chapter 12 of The Florentine Dagger by Ben Hecht holds 489 sentences, grouped into 98 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.
Chapter 12 holds 489 sentences of The Florentine Dagger, unabridged, divided into 98 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Florentine Dagger by Ben Hecht exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 489 sentences, grouped into 98 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.
Work through the 98 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 98 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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.
Common questions about reading The Florentine Dagger by Ben Hecht on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5316 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59428 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #59428, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 443 minutes of reading across 1064 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Florentine Dagger section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of The Florentine Dagger to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Florentine Dagger, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
