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The Kidnapped President
The Kidnapped President

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Kidnapped President is here in full — 230 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Kidnapped President
Context Illustration Reading 1/46 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.
"I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.
Would it be possible for you to leave England on Wednesday next?"
"If it comes to that I must make it possible," I answered.
"From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."
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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 Kidnapped President

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Kidnapped President is here in full — 230 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/46 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.
Line 2
"I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.
Line 3
Would it be possible for you to leave England on Wednesday next?"
/wʊd ɪt biː ˈpɑːsəbəl fɔːr juː tuː liːv ˈɪŋɡlənd ɑːn ˈwenzdi nekst/
Line 4
"If it comes to that I must make it possible," I answered.
/ɪf ɪt kʌmz tuː ðæt aɪ mʌst meɪk ɪt ˈpɑːsəbəl aɪ ˈænsərd/
Line 5
"From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."
/frʌm wʌt juː sed tuː miː læst naɪt aɪ ˈɡæðər ðæt ðer ɪz noʊ taɪm tuː biː lɔːst/

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.

accept verb US /ækˈsept/

consider or hold as true

From this reading “"I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.”

assure verb US /əˈʃʊr/

make certain of

From this reading “"I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.”

decided adjective US /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd/

recognizable; marked

From this reading “"I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.”

Don noun US /dɑːn/

a Spanish gentleman or nobleman

From this reading “"I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.”

gather verb US /ˈɡæðər/

assemble or get together

From this reading “"From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."”

reply noun US /rɪˈplaɪ/

a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading “"I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.”

value noun US /ˈvæljuː/

a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed

From this reading “"I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.”

Wednesday noun US /ˈwenzdi/

the fourth day of the week; the third working day

From this reading “Would it be possible for you to leave England on Wednesday next?"”

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.

last night adjective + noun

In this reading “"From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."”

felt certain verb + adjective

In this reading “"I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.”

All words in this reading · 56

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.

acceptverbUS /ækˈsept/

consider or hold as true

From this reading "I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading "If it comes to that I must make it possible," I answered.

assureverbUS /əˈʃʊr/

make certain of

From this reading "I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Would it be possible for you to leave England on Wednesday next?"

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading "I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.

co-operation

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

From this reading "I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading "If it comes to that I must make it possible," I answered.

denounUS /diː/

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

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

decidedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd/

recognizable; marked

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

DonnounUS /dɑːn/

a Spanish gentleman or nobleman

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading Would it be possible for you to leave England on Wednesday next?"

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading "I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Would it be possible for you to leave England on Wednesday next?"

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."

gatherverbUS /ˈɡæðər/

assemble or get together

From this reading "From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."

gladadjectiveUS /ɡlæd/

showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

Guzman

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

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "If it comes to that I must make it possible," I answered.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Would it be possible for you to leave England on Wednesday next?"

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading "From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading Would it be possible for you to leave England on Wednesday next?"

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading "From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading "If it comes to that I must make it possible," I answered.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "If it comes to that I must make it possible," I answered.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Would it be possible for you to leave England on Wednesday next?"

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading "From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Would it be possible for you to leave England on Wednesday next?"

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading Would it be possible for you to leave England on Wednesday next?"

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

replynounUS /rɪˈplaɪ/

a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.

Silvestre

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

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "If it comes to that I must make it possible," I answered.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading "From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

valuenounUS /ˈvæljuː/

a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed

From this reading "I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.

WednesdaynounUS /ˈwenzdi/

the fourth day of the week; the third working day

From this reading Would it be possible for you to leave England on Wednesday next?"

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "From what you said to me last night, I gather that there is no time to be lost."

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading "I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I am indeed glad you have decided to help me," Don Guzman de Silvestre replied, when he heard my reply.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I felt certain you would accept, and I assure you I shall value your co-operation.

Chapter 4 of The Kidnapped President by Guy Boothby holds 230 sentences, grouped into 46 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 4 of The Kidnapped President contain?

Chapter 4 holds 230 sentences of The Kidnapped President, unabridged, divided into 46 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Kidnapped President by Guy Boothby exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 230 sentences, grouped into 46 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 4 of The Kidnapped President?

Work through the 46 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 46 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Kidnapped President

Common questions about reading The Kidnapped President by Guy Boothby on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Kidnapped President?

Yes. All 3671 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36492 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Kidnapped President is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36492, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Kidnapped President take to read?

About 305 minutes of reading across 735 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Kidnapped President section by section

How to work through The Kidnapped President section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of The Kidnapped President 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 Kidnapped President

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Kidnapped President, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Suppose
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kidnapped President; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Every
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kidnapped President; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Period
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kidnapped President; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Comes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kidnapped President; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.