Chapter 4 of The Last Stroke: A Detective Story is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Last Stroke: A Detective Story is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FERRARS. Robert Brierly caught his breath. "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck." "I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done. But this is also professional knowledge.
Chapter 4 of The Last Stroke: A Detective Story is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/37 · 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.
performance of moral or religious acts
From this reading “"I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done.”
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading “"And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."”
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading “But this is also professional knowledge.”
being nothing more than specified
From this reading “"And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."”
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading “"And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."”
engaged in a profession or engaging in as a profession or means of livelihood
From this reading “But this is also professional knowledge.”
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading “Robert Brierly caught his breath.”
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading “"I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done.”
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.
In this reading “"And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."”
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 "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
in addition
From this reading But this is also professional knowledge.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading Robert Brierly caught his breath.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Robert Brierly caught his breath.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But this is also professional knowledge.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Robert Brierly caught his breath.
performance of moral or religious acts
From this reading "I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading "I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FERRARS.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Robert Brierly caught his breath.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But this is also professional knowledge.
and nothing more
From this reading "I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading But this is also professional knowledge.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
engaged in a profession or engaging in as a profession or means of livelihood
From this reading But this is also professional knowledge.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading Robert Brierly caught his breath.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading But this is also professional knowledge.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading "I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading "I have seen just such deeds in the wild west and I know how they are done.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "And your reason?" he gasped, "for you have a reason other than the mere fact of the bullet-wound in the neck."
Chapter 4 of The Last Stroke: A Detective Story by Lawrence L. Lynch holds 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 4 holds 186 sentences of The Last Stroke: A Detective Story, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Last Stroke: A Detective Story by Lawrence L. Lynch exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 38 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Last Stroke: A Detective Story by Lawrence L. Lynch on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4103 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35304 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #35304, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 341 minutes of reading across 821 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Last Stroke: A Detective Story section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Last Stroke: A Detective Story 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 Last Stroke: A Detective Story, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
