Chapter 16 of The King of Diamonds is here in full — 322 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of The King of Diamonds is here in full — 322 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio. "We are fools to discuss such things here. It is your fault, Grenier. Why did you drop this bombshell on me so unexpectedly? You confounded actors are always looking out for a curtain.
Chapter 16 of The King of Diamonds is here in full — 322 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/64 · 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.
plural of “actor” — a theatrical performer
From this reading “You confounded actors are always looking out for a curtain.”
an entertainer who has a sensational effect
From this reading “Why did you drop this bombshell on me so unexpectedly?”
English architect (1723-1796)
From this reading “_The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.”
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading “You confounded actors are always looking out for a curtain.”
a cruel wicked and inhuman person
From this reading “_The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading “_The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.”
in a way that was not expected
From this reading “Why did you drop this bombshell on me so unexpectedly?”
superlative of “young” — (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading “_The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.”
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.
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 You confounded actors are always looking out for a curtain.
plural of “actor” — a theatrical performer
From this reading You confounded actors are always looking out for a curtain.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading You confounded actors are always looking out for a curtain.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "We are fools to discuss such things here.
an entertainer who has a sensational effect
From this reading Why did you drop this bombshell on me so unexpectedly?
English architect (1723-1796)
From this reading _The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading _The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading You confounded actors are always looking out for a curtain.
hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading You confounded actors are always looking out for a curtain.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Why did you drop this bombshell on me so unexpectedly?
to consider or examine in speech or writing
From this reading "We are fools to discuss such things here.
let fall to the ground
From this reading Why did you drop this bombshell on me so unexpectedly?
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading It is your fault, Grenier.
a cruel wicked and inhuman person
From this reading _The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.
plural of “fool” — a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading "We are fools to discuss such things here.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading You confounded actors are always looking out for a curtain.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is your fault, Grenier.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "We are fools to discuss such things here.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is your fault, Grenier.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is your fault, Grenier.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading You confounded actors are always looking out for a curtain.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading _The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Why did you drop this bombshell on me so unexpectedly?
past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading _The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading _The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Why did you drop this bombshell on me so unexpectedly?
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading You confounded actors are always looking out for a curtain.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Why did you drop this bombshell on me so unexpectedly?
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "We are fools to discuss such things here.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading "We are fools to discuss such things here.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Why did you drop this bombshell on me so unexpectedly?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading _The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.
in a way that was not expected
From this reading Why did you drop this bombshell on me so unexpectedly?
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "We are fools to discuss such things here.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why did you drop this bombshell on me so unexpectedly?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Why did you drop this bombshell on me so unexpectedly?
superlative of “young” — (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading _The Master Fiend._ "Come to my chambers," muttered the youngest of the trio.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading It is your fault, Grenier.
Chapter 16 of The King of Diamonds by Louis Tracy holds 322 sentences, grouped into 65 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 322 sentences of The King of Diamonds, unabridged, divided into 65 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of The King of Diamonds by Louis Tracy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 322 sentences, grouped into 65 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 65 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 65 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 King of Diamonds by Louis Tracy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6025 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40493 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40493, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 502 minutes of reading across 1205 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The King of Diamonds section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of The King of Diamonds 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 King of Diamonds, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
