Chapter 12 of The Keeper of the Door is here in full — 259 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The Keeper of the Door is here in full — 259 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE VERDICT "It's a difficult position," said Nick. "It's a damnable position," said Max. He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows. "I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium. But--I'd give fifty pounds to have her people within reach."
Chapter 12 of The Keeper of the Door is here in full — 259 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/51 · 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.
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading “"I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.”
past form of “brood” — think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading “He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows.”
plural of “brow” — the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading “He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows.”
act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining
From this reading “"I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.”
street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate
From this reading “"It's a damnable position," said Max.”
cut slightly, with a razor
From this reading “THE VERDICT "It's a difficult position," said Nick.”
an addictive narcotic extracted from seed capsules of the opium poppy
From this reading “"I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.”
(law) the findings of a jury on issues of fact submitted to it for decision; can be used in formulating a judgment
From this reading “THE VERDICT "It's a difficult position," said Nick.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE VERDICT "It's a difficult position," said Nick.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows.
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading "I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.
past form of “brood” — think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows.
plural of “brow” — the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But--I'd give fifty pounds to have her people within reach."
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.
deserving a curse; sometimes used as an intensifier
From this reading "I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.
deserving a curse
From this reading "It's a damnable position," said Max.
act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining
From this reading "I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading THE VERDICT "It's a difficult position," said Nick.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading But--I'd give fifty pounds to have her people within reach."
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading But--I'd give fifty pounds to have her people within reach."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading But--I'd give fifty pounds to have her people within reach."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But--I'd give fifty pounds to have her people within reach."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE VERDICT "It's a difficult position," said Nick.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.
street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate
From this reading "It's a damnable position," said Max.
cut slightly, with a razor
From this reading THE VERDICT "It's a difficult position," said Nick.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.
an addictive narcotic extracted from seed capsules of the opium poppy
From this reading "I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading But--I'd give fifty pounds to have her people within reach."
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading THE VERDICT "It's a difficult position," said Nick.
plural of “pound” — 16 ounces avoirdupois
From this reading But--I'd give fifty pounds to have her people within reach."
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading But--I'd give fifty pounds to have her people within reach."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading THE VERDICT "It's a difficult position," said Nick.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading "I don't anticipate any sudden development if I can keep her off that cursed opium.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE VERDICT "It's a difficult position," said Nick.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But--I'd give fifty pounds to have her people within reach."
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows.
(law) the findings of a jury on issues of fact submitted to it for decision; can be used in formulating a judgment
From this reading THE VERDICT "It's a difficult position," said Nick.
a Caucasian
From this reading He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He stared across the white table-cloth with eyes that brooded under down-drawn brows.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading But--I'd give fifty pounds to have her people within reach."
Chapter 12 of The Keeper of the Door by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell holds 259 sentences, grouped into 52 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 12 holds 259 sentences of The Keeper of the Door, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Keeper of the Door by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 259 sentences, grouped into 52 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 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 52 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 12 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 Keeper of the Door by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 15760 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15013 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #15013, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 3152 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Keeper of the Door section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Keeper of the Door 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 Keeper of the Door, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
