Chapter 15 of The Florentine Dagger is here in full — 362 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of The Florentine Dagger is here in full — 362 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed. The cab bowled slowly along through the circuitous park roads. “I’ll tell him to take his time,” De Medici whispered. “The air will do you good.” He looked at the girl beside him.
Chapter 15 of The Florentine Dagger is here in full — 362 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/72 · 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.
past form of “bowl” — roll (a ball)
From this reading “The cab bowled slowly along through the circuitous park roads.”
a compartment at the front of a motor vehicle or locomotive where driver sits
From this reading “The cab bowled slowly along through the circuitous park roads.”
marked by obliqueness or indirection in speech or conduct
From this reading “The cab bowled slowly along through the circuitous park roads.”
a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading “HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.”
aristocratic Italian family of powerful merchants and bankers who ruled Florence in the 15th century
From this reading ““I’ll tell him to take his time,” De Medici whispered.”
possessive form of “reader” — a person who enjoys reading
apprehension about what is going to happen
From this reading “HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.”
a car driven by a person whose job is to take passengers where they want to go in exchange for money
From this reading “HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.”
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.
In this reading “HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.”
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “He looked at the girl beside him.”
pursue or resume
In this reading “HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.”
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 HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading “The air will do you good.”
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading The cab bowled slowly along through the circuitous park roads.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He looked at the girl beside him.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
next to; at the side of
From this reading He looked at the girl beside him.
past form of “bowl” — roll (a ball)
From this reading The cab bowled slowly along through the circuitous park roads.
a compartment at the front of a motor vehicle or locomotive where driver sits
From this reading The cab bowled slowly along through the circuitous park roads.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
marked by obliqueness or indirection in speech or conduct
From this reading The cab bowled slowly along through the circuitous park roads.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading “I’ll tell him to take his time,” De Medici whispered.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “The air will do you good.”
a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
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 HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
a young female
From this reading He looked at the girl beside him.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “The air will do you good.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He looked at the girl beside him.
a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “I’ll tell him to take his time,” De Medici whispered.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “I’ll tell him to take his time,” De Medici whispered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ll tell him to take his time,” De Medici whispered.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He looked at the girl beside him.
aristocratic Italian family of powerful merchants and bankers who ruled Florence in the 15th century
From this reading “I’ll tell him to take his time,” De Medici whispered.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property
From this reading The cab bowled slowly along through the circuitous park roads.
possessive form of “reader” — a person who enjoys reading
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
separated in relationship by a given degree of descent
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
a partly sheltered anchorage
From this reading The cab bowled slowly along through the circuitous park roads.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading The cab bowled slowly along through the circuitous park roads.
apprehension about what is going to happen
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
carry out
From this reading “I’ll tell him to take his time,” De Medici whispered.
plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
a car driven by a person whose job is to take passengers where they want to go in exchange for money
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
express in words
From this reading “I’ll tell him to take his time,” De Medici whispered.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The cab bowled slowly along through the circuitous park roads.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “I’ll tell him to take his time,” De Medici whispered.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I’ll tell him to take his time,” De Medici whispered.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading HEARTS AND FLOWERS In which Florence takes up the drama—A taxicab, as in the beginning—In which what is left of the reader’s suspense and curiosity is carefully removed.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading “I’ll tell him to take his time,” De Medici whispered.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “The air will do you good.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “The air will do you good.”
Chapter 15 of The Florentine Dagger by Ben Hecht holds 362 sentences, grouped into 73 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 15 holds 362 sentences of The Florentine Dagger, unabridged, divided into 73 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of The Florentine Dagger by Ben Hecht exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 362 sentences, grouped into 73 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 73 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 73 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 15 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.
