The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story is here in full — 253 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Fergus Hume • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

Press of J. J. Little & Ives Co. New York "So this is your kingdom, Hendle?" said the visitor, looking round the garden which glowed with rainbow tints in the hot July sunshine; "and a very jolly kingdom it is.

When did you enter into it?"

"When I was fifteen, twelve years ago," replied the Squire, smiling.

"Don't you remember how I wrote and told you of the death of my father?

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter I Reading 1/50

The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story Fergus Hume

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story is here in full — 253 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC. Press of J. J. Little & Ives Co. New York "So this is your kingdom, Hendle?" said the visitor, looking round the garden which glowed with rainbow tints in the hot July sunshine; "and a very jolly kingdom it is. When did you enter into it?" "When I was fifteen, twelve years ago," replied the Squire, smiling. "Don't you remember how I wrote and told you of the death of my father?

The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story is here in full — 253 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

Line 2

Line 3

When did you enter into it?"

/wen dɪd juː ˈentər ˈɪntuː ɪt/

Line 4

"When I was fifteen, twelve years ago," replied the Squire, smiling.

/wen aɪ wɑːz fɪfˈtiːn twelv jɪrz əˈɡoʊ rɪˈplaɪd ðə skwaɪr ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/

Line 5

"Don't you remember how I wrote and told you of the death of my father?

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.

feather verb US /ˈfeðər/

join tongue and groove, in carpentry

From this reading “BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.”

glowed verb US /ɡloʊd/

past form of “glow” — emit a steady even light without flames

From this reading “Press of J. J. Little & Ives Co. New York "So this is your kingdom, Hendle?" said the visitor, looking round the garden which glowed with rainbow tints in the hot July sunshine; "and a very jolly kingdom it is.”

hansom noun US /ˈhænsəm/

a two-wheeled horse-drawn covered carriage with the driver's seat above and behind the passengers

hume noun US /hjuːm/

Scottish philosopher skeptical philosophy restricted human knowledge to that which can be perceived by the senses (1711-1776)

Ives noun US /aɪvz/

United States composer noted for his innovative use of polytonality (1874-1954)

rainbow noun US /ˈreɪnboʊ/

an arc of colored light in the sky caused by refraction of the sun's rays by rain

sealed adjective US /siːld/

established irrevocably

tints noun US /tɪnts/

plural of “tint” — a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color

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.

HANSOM CAB noun + noun

a two-wheeled horse-drawn covered carriage with the driver's seat above and behind the passengers

In this reading “BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.”

twelve years noun + noun

In this reading “"When I was fifteen, twelve years ago," replied the Squire, smiling.”

SECRET PASSAGE noun + noun

looking round noun + noun

In this reading “Press of J. J. Little & Ives Co. New York "So this is your kingdom, Hendle?" said the visitor, looking round the garden which glowed with rainbow tints in the hot July sunshine; "and a very jolly kingdom it is.”

enter into verb + particle

In this reading “When did you enter into it?"”

All words in this reading · 74

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

From this reading "When I was fifteen, twelve years ago," replied the Squire, smiling.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Press of J. J. Little & Ives Co. New York "So this is your kingdom, Hendle?" said the visitor, looking round the garden which glowed with rainbow tints in the hot July sunshine; "and a very jolly kingdom it is.

AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

CABnounUS /kæb/

a compartment at the front of a motor vehicle or locomotive where driver sits

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

ConounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

CROWNnounUS /kraʊn/

the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading "Don't you remember how I wrote and told you of the death of my father?

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading When did you enter into it?"

Don't

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

From this reading "Don't you remember how I wrote and told you of the death of my father?

enterverbUS /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading When did you enter into it?"

ETC

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

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading "Don't you remember how I wrote and told you of the death of my father?

FEATHERverbUS /ˈfeðər/

join tongue and groove, in carpentry

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

FERGUS

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

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

fifteennounUS /fɪfˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one

From this reading "When I was fifteen, twelve years ago," replied the Squire, smiling.

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

glowedverbUS /ɡloʊd/

past form of “glow” — emit a steady even light without flames

HANSOMnounUS /ˈhænsəm/

a two-wheeled horse-drawn covered carriage with the driver's seat above and behind the passengers

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

Hendle

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

hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

how

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

From this reading "Don't you remember how I wrote and told you of the death of my father?

HUMEnounUS /hjuːm/

Scottish philosopher skeptical philosophy restricted human knowledge to that which can be perceived by the senses (1711-1776)

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "When I was fifteen, twelve years ago," replied the Squire, smiling.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading When did you enter into it?"

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

IvesnounUS /aɪvz/

United States composer noted for his innovative use of polytonality (1874-1954)

JnounUS /dʒeɪ/

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

jollyadjectiveUS /ˈdʒɑːli/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

JulynounUS /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/

the month following June and preceding August

kingdomnounUS /ˈkɪŋdəm/

a domain in which something is dominant

LittleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

MESSAGEnounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

MONEYnounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Don't you remember how I wrote and told you of the death of my father?

MYSTERYnounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

PASSAGEnounUS /ˈpæsədʒ/

the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

PressverbUS /pres/

exert pressure or force to or upon

QUEENnounUS /kwiːn/

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

RAINBOWnounUS /ˈreɪnboʊ/

an arc of colored light in the sky caused by refraction of the sun's rays by rain

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

REDnounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading "Don't you remember how I wrote and told you of the death of my father?

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "When I was fifteen, twelve years ago," replied the Squire, smiling.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

SEALEDadjectiveUS /siːld/

established irrevocably

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

SECRETnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

smilingnounUS /ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/

a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading "When I was fifteen, twelve years ago," replied the Squire, smiling.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

SquirenounUS /skwaɪr/

young nobleman attendant on a knight

From this reading "When I was fifteen, twelve years ago," replied the Squire, smiling.

STEELnounUS /stiːl/

an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

sunshinenounUS /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/

the rays of the sun

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE MYSTERY QUEEN," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "RED MONEY," "THE SEALED MESSAGE," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE STEEL CROWN," ETC.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

tintsnounUS /tɪnts/

plural of “tint” — a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading "Don't you remember how I wrote and told you of the death of my father?

twelvenounUS /twelv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one

From this reading "When I was fifteen, twelve years ago," replied the Squire, smiling.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

visitornounUS /ˈvɪzɪtər/

someone who visits

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "When I was fifteen, twelve years ago," replied the Squire, smiling.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When did you enter into it?"

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading "Don't you remember how I wrote and told you of the death of my father?

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading "When I was fifteen, twelve years ago," replied the Squire, smiling.

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading When did you enter into it?"

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

Chapter 1 of The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story by Fergus Hume holds 253 sentences, grouped into 51 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 1 of The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story contain?

Chapter 1 holds 253 sentences of The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 253 sentences, grouped into 51 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 1 of The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story?

Work through the 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 51 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

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Yes. All 5754 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55956 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #55956, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 479 minutes of reading across 1151 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story

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Fergus: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter I

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