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The Great Impersonation
The Great Impersonation

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of The Great Impersonation is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Great Impersonation
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.
The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.
His first few words were of formal thanks.
He spoke then more intimately.
Von Ragastein,” he said, I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.”
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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 Great Impersonation

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of The Great Impersonation is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.
Line 2
The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.
/ðə prɪns tʊk hɪz hoʊsts ɑːrm ənd led hɪm tuː wʌn saɪd fɔːr ə fjuː ˈmoʊmənts æz ðə kɑːrz wɜːr ˈbiːɪŋ ˈloʊdɪd ʌp/
Line 3
His first few words were of formal thanks.
/hɪz fɜːrst fjuː wɜːrdz wɜːr ʌv ˈfɔːrməl θæŋks/
Line 4
He spoke then more intimately.
/hiː spoʊk ðen mɔːr ˈɪntəmətli/
Line 5
Von Ragastein,” he said, “I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.”

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.

arranged adjective US /ərˈeɪndʒd/

disposed or placed in a particular kind of order

From this reading “The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.”

cars noun US /kɑːrz/

plural of “car” — a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading “The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.”

formal adjective US /ˈfɔːrməl/

being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress)

From this reading “His first few words were of formal thanks.”

host's noun US /hoʊsts/

possessive form of “host” — a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there

From this reading “The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.”

intimately adverb US /ˈɪntəmətli/

in a close manner

From this reading “He spoke then more intimately.”

loaded adjective US /ˈloʊdɪd/

filled with a great quantity

From this reading “The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.”

refer verb US /rəˈfɜːr/

make reference to

From this reading ““Von Ragastein,” he said, “I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.””

shooting noun US /ˈʃuːtɪŋ/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading “The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.”

All words in this reading · 53

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 The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

armnounUS /ɑːrm/

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

arrangedadjectiveUS /ərˈeɪndʒd/

disposed or placed in a particular kind of order

From this reading The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading “Von Ragastein,” he said, “I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.”

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

breaking-up

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

From this reading The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.

carefullyadverbUS /ˈkerfəli/

taking care or paying attention

From this reading The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.

carsnounUS /kɑːrz/

plural of “car” — a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

conversationnounUS /ˌkɑːnvərˈseɪʃən/

the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.

From this reading “Von Ragastein,” he said, “I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.”

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading “Von Ragastein,” he said, “I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.”

desirenounUS /dɪˈzaɪər/

the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading “Von Ragastein,” he said, “I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.”

Dominey's

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

From this reading The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading His first few words were of formal thanks.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

formaladjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrməl/

being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress)

From this reading His first few words were of formal thanks.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He spoke then more intimately.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

host'snounUS /hoʊsts/

possessive form of “host” — a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “Von Ragastein,” he said, “I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.”

intimatelyadverbUS /ˈɪntəmətli/

in a close manner

From this reading He spoke then more intimately.

lednounUS /led/

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

loadedadjectiveUS /ˈloʊdɪd/

filled with a great quantity

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading “Von Ragastein,” he said, “I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.”

momentsnounUS /ˈmoʊmənts/

plural of “moment” — a particular point in time

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading He spoke then more intimately.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading “Von Ragastein,” he said, “I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.”

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading “Von Ragastein,” he said, “I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.”

partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.

PrincenounUS /prɪns/

a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

Ragastein

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

From this reading “Von Ragastein,” he said, “I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.”

referverbUS /rəˈfɜːr/

make reference to

From this reading “Von Ragastein,” he said, “I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.”

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Von Ragastein,” he said, “I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.”

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.

shootingnounUS /ˈʃuːtɪŋ/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading He spoke then more intimately.

thanksnounUS /θæŋks/

an acknowledgment of appreciation

From this reading His first few words were of formal thanks.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The next morning saw the breaking-up of Dominey's carefully arranged shooting party.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading He spoke then more intimately.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

Von

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

From this reading “Von Ragastein,” he said, “I desire to refer back for a moment to our conversation the other day.”

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The Prince took his host's arm and led him to one side for a few moments, as the cars were being loaded up.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading His first few words were of formal thanks.

Chapter 23 of The Great Impersonation by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim holds 137 sentences, grouped into 28 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 23 of The Great Impersonation contain?

Chapter 23 holds 137 sentences of The Great Impersonation, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The Great Impersonation by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 137 sentences, grouped into 28 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 23 of The Great Impersonation?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 Great Impersonation

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

Is this the complete text of The Great Impersonation?

Yes. All 5537 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5815 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Great Impersonation is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5815, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Great Impersonation take to read?

About 461 minutes of reading across 1108 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Great Impersonation section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Great Impersonation 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 Great Impersonation

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

Dominey
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Impersonation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Slept
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Impersonation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Following
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Impersonation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Morning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Impersonation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.