The House of Strange Secrets

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The House of Strange Secrets is here in full — 57 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By A. Eric Bayly • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The House of Strange Secrets

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

He left the dining-room, returning, however, a few moments later with a yellow collar-box.

From this he permitted Lena to remove the lid.

Narrator

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.

Chapter XXIII Reading 1/11

The House of Strange Secrets A. Eric Bayly

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The House of Strange Secrets is here in full — 57 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE MYSTERY OF THE MANSE BARN "By all that's wonderful," cried Laurence to Lena after the solemn mid-day meal was at an end, "if I haven't forgotten about the clue Mr. Oliver Potter so generously gave me! Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation. If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents." He left the dining-room, returning, however, a few moments later with a yellow collar-box. From this he permitted Lena to remove the lid.

The House of Strange Secrets

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The House of Strange Secrets is here in full — 57 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/11 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

Line 3

If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

/ɪf juː wɪl weɪt hiːr fɔːr hæf ə ˈmɪnət aɪ noʊ juː wɪl ɪksˈkjuːs miː aɪ wɪl fetʃ ðə bɑːks ənd wiː wɪl praɪ ˈɪntuː ɪts mɪˈstɪriəs ˈkɑːntents/

Line 4

He left the dining-room, returning, however, a few moments later with a yellow collar-box.

Line 5

From this he permitted Lena to remove the lid.

/frʌm ðɪs hiː pərˈmɪtɪd ˈliːnə tuː riˈmuːv ðə lɪd/

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.

cardboard noun US /ˈkɑːrdbɔːrd/

a stiff moderately thick paper

From this reading “Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.”

cupboard noun US /ˈkʌbərd/

a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space

From this reading “Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.”

generously adverb US /ˈdʒenərəsli/

in a generous manner

From this reading “THE MYSTERY OF THE MANSE BARN "By all that's wonderful," cried Laurence to Lena after the solemn mid-day meal was at an end, "if I haven't forgotten about the clue Mr. Oliver Potter so generously gave me!”

investigation noun US /ˌɪnvestəˈɡeɪʃən/

an inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable activities

From this reading “Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.”

Lena noun US /ˈliːnə/

a Russian river in Siberia; flows northward into the Laptev Sea

lid noun US /lɪd/

either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye

From this reading “From this he permitted Lena to remove the lid.”

Potter verb US /ˈpɑːtər/

do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly

pry verb US /praɪ/

to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open

From this reading “If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."”

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.

cardboard box noun + noun

In this reading “Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.”

pry into verb + particle

In this reading “If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."”

few moments adjective + noun counted as “few moment”

In this reading “He left the dining-room, returning, however, a few moments later with a yellow collar-box.”

at an end preposition + article + noun counted as “at … end”

In this reading “THE MYSTERY OF THE MANSE BARN "By all that's wonderful," cried Laurence to Lena after the solemn mid-day meal was at an end, "if I haven't forgotten about the clue Mr. Oliver Potter so generously gave me!”

wait here verb + particle

In this reading “If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."”

All words in this reading · 88

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 Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading THE MYSTERY OF THE MANSE BARN "By all that's wonderful," cried Laurence to Lena after the solemn mid-day meal was at an end, "if I haven't forgotten about the clue Mr. Oliver Potter so generously gave me!

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

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

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

BARNnounUS /bɑːrn/

an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals

bedroomnounUS /ˈbedruːm/

a room used primarily for sleeping

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

boxnounUS /bɑːks/

a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

cardboardnounUS /ˈkɑːrdbɔːrd/

a stiff moderately thick paper

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

cluenounUS /kluː/

a slight indication

collar-box

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

From this reading He left the dining-room, returning, however, a few moments later with a yellow collar-box.

containingverbUS /kənˈteɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “contain” — include or contain; have as a component

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

contentsnounUS /ˈkɑːntents/

(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

cupboardnounUS /ˈkʌbərd/

a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

dining-roomnoun

a room used for dining

From this reading He left the dining-room, returning, however, a few moments later with a yellow collar-box.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

excuseverbUS /ɪksˈkjuːs/

accept an excuse for

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

fetchverbUS /fetʃ/

go or come after and bring or take back

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

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 He left the dining-room, returning, however, a few moments later with a yellow collar-box.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From this he permitted Lena to remove the lid.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

generouslyadverbUS /ˈdʒenərəsli/

in a generous manner

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

haven't

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

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading He left the dining-room, returning, however, a few moments later with a yellow collar-box.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

investigationnounUS /ˌɪnvestəˈɡeɪʃən/

an inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable activities

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading He left the dining-room, returning, however, a few moments later with a yellow collar-box.

Laurence

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

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading He left the dining-room, returning, however, a few moments later with a yellow collar-box.

LenanounUS /ˈliːnə/

a Russian river in Siberia; flows northward into the Laptev Sea

Letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

lidnounUS /lɪd/

either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye

From this reading From this he permitted Lena to remove the lid.

MANSEnoun

a large and imposing house

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

mealnounUS /miːl/

the food served and eaten at one time

mid-day

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

minutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

momentsnounUS /ˈmoʊmənts/

plural of “moment” — a particular point in time

From this reading He left the dining-room, returning, however, a few moments later with a yellow collar-box.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

of an obscure nature

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

MYSTERYnounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

OlivernounUS /ˈɑːləvər/

United States jazz musician who influenced the style of Louis Armstrong (1885-1938)

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

permittedverbUS /pərˈmɪtɪd/

inflected form of “permit” — consent to, give permission

From this reading From this he permitted Lena to remove the lid.

PotterverbUS /ˈpɑːtər/

do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly

proveverbUS /pruːv/

be shown or be found to be

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

pryverbUS /praɪ/

to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

removeverbUS /riˈmuːv/

remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract

From this reading From this he permitted Lena to remove the lid.

returningadjectiveUS /rɪˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

tending to return to an earlier state

From this reading He left the dining-room, returning, however, a few moments later with a yellow collar-box.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

solemnadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləm/

dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

Squire's

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

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

that's

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

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading From this he permitted Lena to remove the lid.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He left the dining-room, returning, however, a few moments later with a yellow collar-box.

wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Let me think--he said if I went to the cupboard in the Squire's bedroom I should find a cardboard box containing something which would prove of use in our investigation.

yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading He left the dining-room, returning, however, a few moments later with a yellow collar-box.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading If you will wait here for half a minute (I know you will excuse me) I will fetch the box, and we will pry into its mysterious contents."

Chapter 23 of The House of Strange Secrets by A. Eric Bayly holds 57 sentences, grouped into 12 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 House of Strange Secrets contain?

Chapter 23 holds 57 sentences of The House of Strange Secrets, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The House of Strange Secrets by A. Eric Bayly exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 57 sentences, grouped into 12 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 House of Strange Secrets?

Work through the 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 12 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.

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Yes. All 2806 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34947 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #34947, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 233 minutes of reading across 562 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The House of Strange Secrets

Words and structures a reader meets early in The House of Strange Secrets, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Squire: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House of Strange Secrets; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Carrington's: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House of Strange Secrets; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Carriage: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House of Strange Secrets; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Please: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House of Strange Secrets; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXIII

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