Chapter 1 of The Lerouge Case is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Lerouge Case is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy. If they were dry, he arrived sooner. This must have been noticed, for the floor is a polished one. Were there any imprints of footsteps, M. Commissary?” “I must confess we never thought of looking for them.”
Chapter 1 of The Lerouge Case is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 38/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 186–190
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.
a retail store that sells equipment and provisions (usually to military personnel)
From this reading “Were there any imprints of footsteps, M. Commissary?””
confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading ““I must confess we never thought of looking for them.””
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading “Were there any imprints of footsteps, M. Commissary?””
plural of “imprint” — a distinctive influence
From this reading “Were there any imprints of footsteps, M. Commissary?””
(of soil) soft and watery
From this reading ““Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading ““Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.”
perfected or made shiny and smooth
From this reading “This must have been noticed, for the floor is a polished one.”
a particular situation
From this reading ““Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.”
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 This must have been noticed, for the floor is a polished one.
later than; following
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Were there any imprints of footsteps, M. Commissary?”
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading If they were dry, he arrived sooner.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
a retail store that sells equipment and provisions (usually to military personnel)
From this reading Were there any imprints of footsteps, M. Commissary?”
confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading “I must confess we never thought of looking for them.”
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading If they were dry, he arrived sooner.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading This must have been noticed, for the floor is a polished one.
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading Were there any imprints of footsteps, M. Commissary?”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading This must have been noticed, for the floor is a polished one.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If they were dry, he arrived sooner.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I must confess we never thought of looking for them.”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
plural of “imprint” — a distinctive influence
From this reading Were there any imprints of footsteps, M. Commissary?”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This must have been noticed, for the floor is a polished one.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading “I must confess we never thought of looking for them.”
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading Were there any imprints of footsteps, M. Commissary?”
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
(of soil) soft and watery
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “I must confess we never thought of looking for them.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
being perceived or observed
From this reading This must have been noticed, for the floor is a polished one.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Were there any imprints of footsteps, M. Commissary?”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading This must have been noticed, for the floor is a polished one.
perfected or made shiny and smooth
From this reading This must have been noticed, for the floor is a polished one.
a particular situation
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading If they were dry, he arrived sooner.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “I must confess we never thought of looking for them.”
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Were there any imprints of footsteps, M. Commissary?”
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If they were dry, he arrived sooner.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This must have been noticed, for the floor is a polished one.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “I must confess we never thought of looking for them.”
precisely as stated
From this reading “Then if the man came after half-past nine his shoes must have been very muddy.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “I must confess we never thought of looking for them.”
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading If they were dry, he arrived sooner.
Chapter 1 of The Lerouge Case by Emile Gaboriau holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 1 holds 415 sentences of The Lerouge Case, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Lerouge Case by Emile Gaboriau exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 1 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 Lerouge Case by Emile Gaboriau on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8418 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3802 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3802, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1684 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Lerouge Case section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Lerouge Case 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 Lerouge Case, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
