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The Golden Web
The Golden Web

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of The Golden Web is here in full — 147 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Golden Web
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.
Mr. Sarsby was sitting in an easy-chair, reading the _Times_.
Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.
"Ah, Mr. Deane!" he said, rising.
"How do you do, Mr. Deane?"
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 Golden Web

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of The Golden Web is here in full — 147 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.
Line 2
Mr. Sarsby was sitting in an easy-chair, reading the _Times_.
Line 3
Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.
/dərˈektli hiː ˈrekəɡnaɪzd hɪz ˈvɪzɪtər hiː ʃoʊd saɪnz ʌv ˈnɜːrvəsnəs/
Line 4
"Ah, Mr. Deane!" he said, rising.
Line 5
"How do you do, Mr. Deane?"

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.

curiosity noun US /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsəti/

a state in which you want to learn more about something

From this reading “A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
domestic adjective US /dəˈmestɪk/

of concern to or concerning the internal affairs of a nation

From this reading “A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nervousness noun US /ˈnɜːrvəsnəs/

the anxious feeling you have when you have the jitters

From this reading “Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recognized adjective US /ˈrekəɡnaɪzd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading “Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
regarded verb US /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading “A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
signs noun US /saɪnz/

plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading “Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
unaffected adjective US /ˌʌnəˈfektɪd/

undergoing no change when acted upon

From this reading “A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
visitor noun US /ˈvɪzɪtər/

someone who visits

From this reading “Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.”

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.

showed signs verb + noun counted as “show sign”

In this reading “Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.”

3,020 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 49

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 A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Ah

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

From this reading "Ah, Mr. Deane!" he said, rising.

Pending verification
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
apparentlyadverbUS /əˈperəntli/

from appearances alone

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
country-looking

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

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Pending verification
curiositynounUS /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsəti/

a state in which you want to learn more about something

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DANGERnounUS /ˈdeɪndʒər/

the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Deane

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

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Pending verification
DirectlyadverbUS /dərˈektli/

without deviation

From this reading Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "How do you do, Mr. Deane?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
domesticadjectiveUS /dəˈmestɪk/

of concern to or concerning the internal affairs of a nation

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
domicilenoun

(law) the residence where you have your permanent home or principal establishment and to where, whenever you are absent, you intend to return; every person is compelled to have one and only one domicile at a time

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
easy-chair

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

From this reading Mr. Sarsby was sitting in an easy-chair, reading the _Times_.

Pending verification
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
How

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

From this reading "How do you do, Mr. Deane?"

Pending verification
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Mr. Sarsby was sitting in an easy-chair, reading the _Times_.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
morning-room

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

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Pending verification
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Sarsby was sitting in an easy-chair, reading the _Times_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nervousnessnounUS /ˈnɜːrvəsnəs/

the anxious feeling you have when you have the jitters

From this reading Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.

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 A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
open-mouthed

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

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Pending verification
readingnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading Mr. Sarsby was sitting in an easy-chair, reading the _Times_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recognizedadjectiveUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
regardedverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
risingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪzɪŋ/

advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status

From this reading "Ah, Mr. Deane!" he said, rising.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Ah, Mr. Deane!" he said, rising.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sarsby

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

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Pending verification
showedverbUS /ʃoʊd/

past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shownverbUS /ʃoʊn/

inflected form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
signsnounUS /saɪnz/

plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading Mr. Sarsby was sitting in an easy-chair, reading the _Times_.

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 A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TimesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading Mr. Sarsby was sitting in an easy-chair, reading the _Times_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
unaffectedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈfektɪd/

undergoing no change when acted upon

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
visitornounUS /ˈvɪzɪtər/

someone who visits

From this reading Directly he recognized his visitor he showed signs of nervousness.

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 A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading A NEW DANGER Deane was shown into what was apparently the morning-room of the Sarsby domicile by an open-mouthed and very country-looking domestic, who regarded him all the time with unaffected curiosity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "How do you do, Mr. Deane?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 16 of The Golden Web by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim holds 147 sentences, grouped into 30 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 16 of The Golden Web contain?

Chapter 16 holds 147 sentences of The Golden Web, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of The Golden Web by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 147 sentences, grouped into 30 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 16 of The Golden Web?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Golden Web

Common questions about reading The Golden Web by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Golden Web?

Yes. All 5894 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34945 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Golden Web is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #34945, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Golden Web take to read?

About 491 minutes of reading across 1179 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Golden Web section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Golden Web 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 Golden Web

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

Contrast
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Golden Web; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Personal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Golden Web; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Appearance
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Golden Web; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Between
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Golden Web; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.