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The gamblers
The gamblers

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The gamblers is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William Le Queux • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The gamblers
Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.
As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.
The words I read, however, were decidedly curious.
Written in Italian, rather faintly, be it said, the note ran as follows:
"The bearer will give you this in strictest secrecy.
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 gamblers

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The gamblers is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.
Line 2
As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.
Line 3
The words I read, however, were decidedly curious.
/ðə wɜːrdz aɪ red ˌhaʊˈevər wɜːr ˌdɪˈsaɪdədli ˈkjʊriəs/
Line 4
Written in Italian, rather faintly, be it said, the note ran as follows:
/ˈrɪtən ɪn ˌɪˈtæljən ˈræðər ˈfeɪntli biː ɪt sed ðə noʊt ræn æz ˈfɑːloʊz/
Line 5
"The bearer will give you this in strictest secrecy.
/ðə ˈberər wɪl ɡɪv juː ðɪs ɪn ˈstrɪktəst ˈsiːkrəsi/

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.

bearer noun US /ˈberər/

someone whose employment involves carrying something

From this reading “"The bearer will give you this in strictest secrecy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deciphering verb US /dəˈsaɪfərɪŋ/

-ing form of “decipher” — convert code into ordinary language

From this reading “As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
describes verb US /dɪˈskraɪbz/

third-person singular of “describe” — give a description of

From this reading “DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
outlying adjective US /ˈaʊtlaɪɪŋ/

relatively far from a center or middle

From this reading “DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
penned verb US /pend/

inflected form of “pen” — produce a literary work

From this reading “DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strictest adjective US /ˈstrɪktəst/

superlative of “strict” — rigidly accurate; allowing no deviation from a standard

From this reading “"The bearer will give you this in strictest secrecy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suburb noun US /ˈsʌbərb/

a residential district located on the outskirts of a city

From this reading “DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uneducated adjective US /əˈnedʒʊkeɪtɪd/

not having a good education

From this reading “DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

strictest secrecy adjective + noun counted as “strict secrecy”

In this reading “"The bearer will give you this in strictest secrecy.”

175 times in 426,211 chapters
NEW ACQUAINTANCE adjective + noun

In this reading “DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.”

2,697 times in 426,211 chapters
some difficulty adjective + noun

In this reading “As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.”

6,150 times in 426,211 chapters
contain some verb + adjective

In this reading “DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.”

1,397 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 66

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 DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ACQUAINTANCEnounUS /əˈkweɪntəns/

personal knowledge or information about someone or something

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Written in Italian, rather faintly, be it said, the note ran as follows:

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bearernounUS /ˈberər/

someone whose employment involves carrying something

From this reading "The bearer will give you this in strictest secrecy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

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

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
coachmannounUS /ˈkoʊtʃmən/

a man who drives a coach (or carriage)

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
containverbUS /kənˈteɪn/

include or contain; have as a component

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
curiousadjectiveUS /ˈkjʊriəs/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading The words I read, however, were decidedly curious.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
decidedlyadverbUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdədli/

without question and beyond doubt

From this reading The words I read, however, were decidedly curious.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
decipheringverbUS /dəˈsaɪfərɪŋ/

-ing form of “decipher” — convert code into ordinary language

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DESCRIBESverbUS /dɪˈskraɪbz/

third-person singular of “describe” — give a description of

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
difficultynounUS /ˈdɪfəkəlti/

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
disappearedverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrd/

past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
drivingadjectiveUS /ˈdraɪvɪŋ/

having the power of driving or impelling

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
faintlyadverbUS /ˈfeɪntli/

to a faint degree or weakly perceived

From this reading Written in Italian, rather faintly, be it said, the note ran as follows:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flashedverbUS /flæʃt/

past form of “flash” — gleam or glow intermittently

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
followsverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊz/

third-person singular of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading Written in Italian, rather faintly, be it said, the note ran as follows:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading "The bearer will give you this in strictest secrecy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading The words I read, however, were decidedly curious.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItaliannounUS /ˌɪˈtæljən/

a native or inhabitant of Italy

From this reading Written in Italian, rather faintly, be it said, the note ran as follows:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Jacopo

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

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

Pending verification
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
linesnounUS /laɪnz/

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NEWadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

Velmora curated lexicon
outlyingadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtlaɪɪŋ/

relatively far from a center or middle

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pacenounUS /peɪs/

the rate of moving (especially walking or running)

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pennedverbUS /pend/

inflected form of “pen” — produce a literary work

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ranverbUS /ræn/

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading Written in Italian, rather faintly, be it said, the note ran as follows:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rapidlyadverbUS /ˈræpədli/

with speed

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
raysnounUS /reɪz/

plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading The words I read, however, were decidedly curious.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Written in Italian, rather faintly, be it said, the note ran as follows:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
San

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

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

Pending verification
secrecynounUS /ˈsiːkrəsi/

the trait of keeping things secret

From this reading "The bearer will give you this in strictest secrecy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
street-lamps

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

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

Pending verification
strictestadjectiveUS /ˈstrɪktəst/

superlative of “strict” — rigidly accurate; allowing no deviation from a standard

From this reading "The bearer will give you this in strictest secrecy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suburbnounUS /ˈsʌbərb/

a residential district located on the outskirts of a city

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tearingnounUS /ˈterɪŋ/

shedding tears

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading "The bearer will give you this in strictest secrecy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
uneducatedadjectiveUS /əˈnedʒʊkeɪtɪd/

not having a good education

From this reading DESCRIBES A NEW ACQUAINTANCE At the outlying suburb of San Jacopo the street-lamps began, and tearing open the strange note, I found it to contain some lines penned in a rather uneducated hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The words I read, however, were decidedly curious.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "The bearer will give you this in strictest secrecy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading As the coachman was driving at a good pace, I had some difficulty in deciphering the words by the light of the street-lamps as their rays flashed in, and as rapidly disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WrittenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading Written in Italian, rather faintly, be it said, the note ran as follows:

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "The bearer will give you this in strictest secrecy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 17 of The gamblers by William Le Queux holds 159 sentences, grouped into 32 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 17 of The gamblers contain?

Chapter 17 holds 159 sentences of The gamblers, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The gamblers by William Le Queux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 159 sentences, grouped into 32 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 17 of The gamblers?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The gamblers

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

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The gamblers, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of The gamblers, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The gamblers, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.