Chapter 16 of The Hand in the Dark is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of The Hand in the Dark is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Lunch is waiting," said the young man. "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you." "Miss Heredith was right--I did not hear it. I am sorry if I have kept you waiting. I have been so busy that I forgot the passing of time."
Chapter 16 of The Hand in the Dark is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading “"My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."”
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading “I have been so busy that I forgot the passing of time."”
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading “I have been so busy that I forgot the passing of time."”
a percussion instrument consisting of a metal plate that is struck with a softheaded drumstick
From this reading “"My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."”
take the midday meal
From this reading “"Lunch is waiting," said the young man.”
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading “I have been so busy that I forgot the passing of time."”
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading “I am sorry if I have kept you waiting.”
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading “"Lunch is waiting," said the young man.”
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.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am sorry if I have kept you waiting.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I have been so busy that I forgot the passing of time."
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading I have been so busy that I forgot the passing of time."
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading I have been so busy that I forgot the passing of time."
a percussion instrument consisting of a metal plate that is struck with a softheaded drumstick
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I am sorry if I have kept you waiting.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Miss Heredith was right--I did not hear it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I am sorry if I have kept you waiting.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Lunch is waiting," said the young man.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Miss Heredith was right--I did not hear it.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading I am sorry if I have kept you waiting.
take the midday meal
From this reading "Lunch is waiting," said the young man.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Lunch is waiting," said the young man.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "Miss Heredith was right--I did not hear it.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I have been so busy that I forgot the passing of time."
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading I have been so busy that I forgot the passing of time."
precisely, exactly
From this reading "Miss Heredith was right--I did not hear it.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Lunch is waiting," said the young man.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading I am sorry if I have kept you waiting.
express in words
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Lunch is waiting," said the young man.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I have been so busy that I forgot the passing of time."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading "Lunch is waiting," said the young man.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Miss Heredith was right--I did not hear it.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "My aunt thought that you did not hear the gong, so I came up to tell you."
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading "Lunch is waiting," said the young man.
Chapter 16 of The Hand in the Dark by Arthur J. (Arthur John) Rees holds 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 16 holds 209 sentences of The Hand in the Dark, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of The Hand in the Dark by Arthur J. (Arthur John) Rees exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Hand in the Dark by Arthur J. (Arthur John) Rees on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6080 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20546 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20546, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 506 minutes of reading across 1216 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Hand in the Dark section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of The Hand in the Dark 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 Hand in the Dark, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
