The great Skene mystery

Chapter XVIII · Nurse Ellen’s “Young Man”

Chapter XVIII of The great Skene mystery, “Nurse Ellen’s “Young Man”,” is here in full — 84 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Bernard Capes • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

That was characteristic of the man.

I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

From time to time, as I talked to him, his wife, a great strenuous woman of an imposing person and virulence, put in her head at the door, sniffed, each time in crescendo, and departed.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter XVIII Reading 1/16

The great Skene mystery Bernard Capes

Chapter XVIII

Nurse Ellen’s “Young Man”

Chapter XVIII of The great Skene mystery, “Nurse Ellen’s “Young Man”,” is here in full — 84 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business. That was characteristic of the man. I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin. He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought. From time to time, as I talked to him, his wife, a great strenuous woman of an imposing person and virulence, put in her head at the door, sniffed, each time in crescendo, and departed.

The great Skene mystery

Chapter XVIII · Nurse Ellen’s “Young Man”

Chapter XVIII of The great Skene mystery, “Nurse Ellen’s “Young Man”,” is here in full — 84 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

/ˈæftər ˈtwenti jɪrz ənd hiː wɑːz stɪl ɪn hɪz oʊld pleɪs ʌv ˈbɪznəs/

Line 2

That was characteristic of the man.

/ðæt wɑːz ˌkerəktərˈɪstɪk ʌv ðə mæn/

Line 3

I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

Line 4

He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

/hiː hæd ə ˈpeɪpər kæp ɑːn hɪz hed hɪz ˌɪndɪˈtɜːrmɪnɪt aɪz wɜːr peɪl bluː hɪz ˈwɪskərz wɜːr ʌv ðə ˈkʌlər ʌv ðə ˈsɔːdʌst wɪtʃ ˈpaʊdərd ðə bentʃ æt wɪtʃ hiː rɔːt/

Line 5

From time to time, as I talked to him, his wife, a great strenuous woman of an imposing person and virulence, put in her head at the door, sniffed, each time in crescendo, and departed.

/frʌm taɪm tuː taɪm æz aɪ tɔːkt tuː hɪm hɪz waɪf ə ɡreɪt ˈstrenjuːəs ˈwʊmən ʌv æn ˌɪmˈpoʊzɪŋ ˈpɜːrsən ənd ˈvɪrələns pʊt ɪn hɜːr hed æt ðə dɔːr snɪft iːtʃ taɪm ɪn krɪˈʃendoʊ ənd dɪˈpɑːrtɪd/

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.

crescendo noun US /krɪˈʃendoʊ/

(music) a gradual increase in loudness

From this reading “From time to time, as I talked to him, his wife, a great strenuous woman of an imposing person and virulence, put in her head at the door, sniffed, each time in crescendo, and departed.”

indeterminate adjective US /ˌɪndɪˈtɜːrmɪnɪt/

not precisely determined or established; not fixed or known in advance

From this reading “He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.”

powdered adjective US /ˈpaʊdərd/

consisting of fine particles

From this reading “He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.”

sawdust noun US /ˈsɔːdʌst/

fine particles of wood made by sawing wood

From this reading “He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.”

sniffed verb US /snɪft/

past form of “sniff” — perceive by inhaling through the nose

strenuous adjective US /ˈstrenjuːəs/

characterized by or performed with much energy or force

virulence noun US /ˈvɪrələns/

extreme harmfulness (as the capacity of a microorganism to cause disease)

workshop noun US /ˈwɜːrkʃɑːp/

small workplace where handcrafts or manufacturing are done

From this reading “I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.”

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.

twenty years noun + noun

In this reading “After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.”

seemed destined verb + adjective counted as “seem destined”

In this reading “I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.”

paper cap noun + noun

In this reading “He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.”

at the door preposition + article + noun counted as “at … door”

In this reading “From time to time, as I talked to him, his wife, a great strenuous woman of an imposing person and virulence, put in her head at the door, sniffed, each time in crescendo, and departed.”

old place adjective + noun

In this reading “After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.”

All words in this reading · 68

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 I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading From time to time, as I talked to him, his wife, a great strenuous woman of an imposing person and virulence, put in her head at the door, sniffed, each time in crescendo, and departed.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

benchnounUS /bentʃ/

a long seat for more than one person

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

boardnounUS /bɔːrd/

a committee having supervisory powers

From this reading I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

capnounUS /kæp/

a tight-fitting headdress

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

characteristicnounUS /ˌkerəktərˈɪstɪk/

a prominent attribute or aspect of something

From this reading That was characteristic of the man.

Churton

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

From this reading I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

coffinnounUS /ˈkɔːfɪn/

box in which a corpse is buried or cremated

From this reading I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

colouradjectiveUS /ˈkʌlər/

having or capable of producing colors

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

crescendonounUS /krɪˈʃendoʊ/

(music) a gradual increase in loudness

departedadjectiveUS /dɪˈpɑːrtɪd/

well in the past; former

destinedadjectiveUS /ˈdestɪnd/

headed or intending to head in a certain direction; often used as a combining form as in “college-bound students”

From this reading I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

imposingadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpoʊzɪŋ/

impressive in appearance

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

indeterminateadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈtɜːrmɪnɪt/

not precisely determined or established; not fixed or known in advance

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading That was characteristic of the man.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

paleadjectiveUS /peɪl/

very light colored; highly diluted with white

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

personnounUS /ˈpɜːrsən/

a human being

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

planing

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

From this reading I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

powderedadjectiveUS /ˈpaʊdərd/

consisting of fine particles

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

sawdustnounUS /ˈsɔːdʌst/

fine particles of wood made by sawing wood

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

sniffedverbUS /snɪft/

past form of “sniff” — perceive by inhaling through the nose

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

strenuousadjectiveUS /ˈstrenjuːəs/

characterized by or performed with much energy or force

talkedverbUS /tɔːkt/

past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That was characteristic of the man.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading That was characteristic of the man.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

twentynounUS /ˈtwenti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

virulencenounUS /ˈvɪrələns/

extreme harmfulness (as the capacity of a microorganism to cause disease)

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

whiskersnounUS /ˈwɪskərz/

the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

workshopnounUS /ˈwɜːrkʃɑːp/

small workplace where handcrafts or manufacturing are done

From this reading I found Mr Churton in his workshop, planing a board which seemed destined for a coffin.

wroughtadjectiveUS /rɔːt/

shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)

From this reading He had a paper cap on his head; his indeterminate eyes were pale blue; his whiskers were of the colour of the sawdust which powdered the bench at which he wrought.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading After twenty years; and he was still in his old place of business.

Chapter 18 of The great Skene mystery by Bernard Capes holds 84 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.

What does chapter 18 of The great Skene mystery contain?

Chapter 18 holds 84 sentences of The great Skene mystery, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The great Skene mystery by Bernard Capes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 84 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 can be played aloud in United States English.

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Chapter XVIII · Nurse Ellen’s “Young Man”

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