Chapter 18 of The fool of the family is here in full — 82 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of The fool of the family is here in full — 82 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"WHO BREAKS, PAYS." The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway. "That is my housekeeper's voice," said the doctor. "What has happened?" He rushed out of the room.
Chapter 18 of The fool of the family is here in full — 82 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/16 · 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 “break” — some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity
From this reading “"WHO BREAKS, PAYS."”
an often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for complaining
From this reading “The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.”
the dead body of a human being
From this reading “The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.”
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading “The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.”
plural of “pay” — something that remunerates
From this reading “"WHO BREAKS, PAYS."”
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading “The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.”
sharp piercing cry
From this reading “The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.”
the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
From this reading “The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.”
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 “The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.”
In this reading “The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.”
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 doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
plural of “break” — some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity
From this reading "WHO BREAKS, PAYS."
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
an often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for complaining
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
the dead body of a human being
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading "What has happened?"
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What has happened?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That is my housekeeper's voice," said the doctor.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "That is my housekeeper's voice," said the doctor.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
past form of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "That is my housekeeper's voice," said the doctor.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He rushed out of the room.
plural of “pay” — something that remunerates
From this reading "WHO BREAKS, PAYS."
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading He rushed out of the room.
done under pressure
From this reading He rushed out of the room.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "That is my housekeeper's voice," said the doctor.
sharp piercing cry
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
a male human offspring
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "That is my housekeeper's voice," said the doctor.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What has happened?"
at the time that
From this reading The doctor listened to the complaint made by the son of the dead man, and assured him that he knew nothing of the theft of the corpse, when suddenly a piercing shriek was heard in the hallway.
which person or people
From this reading "WHO BREAKS, PAYS."
Chapter 18 of The fool of the family by Bracebridge Hemyng holds 82 sentences, grouped into 17 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 18 holds 82 sentences of The fool of the family, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of The fool of the family by Bracebridge Hemyng exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 82 sentences, grouped into 17 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 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 17 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 18 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.
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Yes. All 3100 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72372 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #72372, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 258 minutes of reading across 620 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The fool of the family section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of The fool of the family 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 fool of the family, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
