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The Justice of the King
The Justice of the King

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of The Justice of the King is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Justice of the King
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."
It was the Judge who spoke.
Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.
Then, as an afterthought, he added, "You can say, too, that Monsieur La Mothe is with him."
"No," said La Mothe; "omit that part of it."
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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 Justice of the King

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of The Justice of the King is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."
Line 2
It was the Judge who spoke.
/ɪt wɑːz ðə dʒʌdʒ huː spoʊk/
Line 3
Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.
Line 4
Then, as an afterthought, he added, "You can say, too, that Monsieur La Mothe is with him."
Line 5
"No," said La Mothe; "omit that part of it."

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.

afterthought noun US /ˈæftərθɑːt/

thinking again about a choice previously made

From this reading “Then, as an afterthought, he added, "You can say, too, that Monsieur La Mothe is with him."”

brusque adjective US /brʌsk/

marked by rude or peremptory shortness

From this reading “Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.”

curt adjective US /kɜːrt/

marked by rude or peremptory shortness

From this reading “Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.”

explicit adjective US /ɪkˈsplɪsət/

precisely and clearly expressed or readily observable; leaving nothing to implication

From this reading “JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."”

Hercules noun US /ˈhɜːrkjəliːz/

(classical mythology) a hero noted for his strength; performed 12 immense labors to gain immortality

From this reading “JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."”

omit verb US /oʊˈmɪt/

prevent from being included or considered or accepted

From this reading “"No," said La Mothe; "omit that part of it."”

saxe noun US /sæks/

a French marshal who distinguished himself in the War of the Austrian Succession (1696-1750)

From this reading “JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."”

sift verb US /sɪft/

move as if through a sieve

From this reading “Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.”

All words in this reading · 58

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.

addedverbUS /ˈædəd/

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, he added, "You can say, too, that Monsieur La Mothe is with him."

afterthoughtnounUS /ˈæftərθɑːt/

thinking again about a choice previously made

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, he added, "You can say, too, that Monsieur La Mothe is with him."

AlreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, he added, "You can say, too, that Monsieur La Mothe is with him."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

brusqueadjectiveUS /brʌsk/

marked by rude or peremptory shortness

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, he added, "You can say, too, that Monsieur La Mothe is with him."

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

Commines

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

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

curtadjectiveUS /kɜːrt/

marked by rude or peremptory shortness

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

d'Argenton

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

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

EXPLICITadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsplɪsət/

precisely and clearly expressed or readily observable; leaving nothing to implication

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, he added, "You can say, too, that Monsieur La Mothe is with him."

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

HerculesnounUS /ˈhɜːrkjəliːz/

(classical mythology) a hero noted for his strength; performed 12 immense labors to gain immortality

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, he added, "You can say, too, that Monsieur La Mothe is with him."

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

ISauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the Judge who spoke.

JEANnounUS /dʒiːn/

a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

JudgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading It was the Judge who spoke.

LanounUS /lɑː/

a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, he added, "You can say, too, that Monsieur La Mothe is with him."

LouisnounUS /ˈluːɪs/

United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

MademoisellenounUS /ˌmædəməˈzel/

small silvery drumfish often mistaken for white perch; found along coasts of United States from New York to Mexico

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

MonsieurnounUS /məˈsjɜːr/

used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

Mothe

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

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, he added, "You can say, too, that Monsieur La Mothe is with him."

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "No," said La Mothe; "omit that part of it."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "No," said La Mothe; "omit that part of it."

omitverbUS /oʊˈmɪt/

prevent from being included or considered or accepted

From this reading "No," said La Mothe; "omit that part of it."

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading "No," said La Mothe; "omit that part of it."

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

requiresverbUS /riˈkwaɪərz/

third-person singular of “require” — require as useful, just, or proper

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "No," said La Mothe; "omit that part of it."

SAXEnounUS /sæks/

a French marshal who distinguished himself in the War of the Austrian Succession (1696-1750)

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

SayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

searchverbUS /sɜːrtʃ/

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

siftverbUS /sɪft/

move as if through a sieve

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

speakverbUS /spiːk/

express in speech

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

spokenounUS /spoʊk/

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

From this reading It was the Judge who spoke.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, he added, "You can say, too, that Monsieur La Mothe is with him."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

tonenounUS /toʊn/

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, he added, "You can say, too, that Monsieur La Mothe is with him."

Vesc

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

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was the Judge who spoke.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It was the Judge who spoke.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading JEAN SAXE IS EXPLICIT "Say to Mademoiselle de Vesc that Monsieur d'Argenton requires to speak with her in the Hercules room."

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading Already Commines stood in Louis' place to search, sift, find, and his tone was as cold and curt as the words were brusque.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, he added, "You can say, too, that Monsieur La Mothe is with him."

Chapter 23 of The Justice of the King by Hamilton Drummond holds 149 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 23 of The Justice of the King contain?

Chapter 23 holds 149 sentences of The Justice of the King, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The Justice of the King by Hamilton Drummond exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 149 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 23 of The Justice of the King?

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 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 Justice of the King

Common questions about reading The Justice of the King by Hamilton Drummond on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Justice of the King?

Yes. All 5416 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24483 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Justice of the King is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #24483, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Justice of the King take to read?

About 451 minutes of reading across 1084 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Justice of the King section by section

How to work through The Justice of the King section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 35 chapters of The Justice of the King 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 Justice of the King

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Justice of the King, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Justice of the King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
King's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Justice of the King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Scapegoat
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Justice of the King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Houses
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Justice of the King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.