Chapter 4 of The Man in Ratcatcher, and Other Stories is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Man in Ratcatcher, and Other Stories is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I left the candles burning," I said, impatiently. "Really, doctor, I suppose murder doesn’t often come your way, but..." I walked on quickly and he followed. Really the fuss was getting on my nerves, already distinctly ragged. The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.
Chapter 4 of The Man in Ratcatcher, and Other Stories is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
the act of burning something
From this reading “"I left the candles burning," I said, impatiently.”
plural of “candle” — stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading “"I left the candles burning," I said, impatiently.”
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading “Really the fuss was getting on my nerves, already distinctly ragged.”
worry unnecessarily or excessively
From this reading “Really the fuss was getting on my nerves, already distinctly ragged.”
with impatience; in an impatient manner
From this reading “"I left the candles burning," I said, impatiently.”
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading “"Really, doctor, I suppose murder doesn’t often come your way, but..."”
an uneasy psychological state
From this reading “Really the fuss was getting on my nerves, already distinctly ragged.”
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading “Really the fuss was getting on my nerves, already distinctly ragged.”
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 “"I left the candles burning," I said, impatiently.”
exterior door (at the entrance) at the front of a building
In this reading “The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.”
temporarily
In this reading “The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.”
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 The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Really the fuss was getting on my nerves, already distinctly ragged.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I walked on quickly and he followed.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.
the act of burning something
From this reading "I left the candles burning," I said, impatiently.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Really, doctor, I suppose murder doesn’t often come your way, but..."
plural of “candle” — stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading "I left the candles burning," I said, impatiently.
so thin as to transmit light
From this reading The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Really, doctor, I suppose murder doesn’t often come your way, but..."
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading Really the fuss was getting on my nerves, already distinctly ragged.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading "Really, doctor, I suppose murder doesn’t often come your way, but..."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Really, doctor, I suppose murder doesn’t often come your way, but..."
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading I walked on quickly and he followed.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.
worry unnecessarily or excessively
From this reading Really the fuss was getting on my nerves, already distinctly ragged.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading Really the fuss was getting on my nerves, already distinctly ragged.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I walked on quickly and he followed.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I left the candles burning," I said, impatiently.
with impatience; in an impatient manner
From this reading "I left the candles burning," I said, impatiently.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading "I left the candles burning," I said, impatiently.
a particular point in time
From this reading The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading "Really, doctor, I suppose murder doesn’t often come your way, but..."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Really the fuss was getting on my nerves, already distinctly ragged.
an uneasy psychological state
From this reading Really the fuss was getting on my nerves, already distinctly ragged.
many times at short intervals
From this reading "Really, doctor, I suppose murder doesn’t often come your way, but..."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I walked on quickly and he followed.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading The front door was open as I had left it, and I paused for a moment in the cobwebby hall.
with speed
From this reading I walked on quickly and he followed.
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading Really the fuss was getting on my nerves, already distinctly ragged.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading "Really, doctor, I suppose murder doesn’t often come your way, but..."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I left the candles burning," I said, impatiently.
express a supposition
From this reading "Really, doctor, I suppose murder doesn’t often come your way, but..."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I left the candles burning," I said, impatiently.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading I walked on quickly and he followed.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Really the fuss was getting on my nerves, already distinctly ragged.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "Really, doctor, I suppose murder doesn’t often come your way, but..."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Really, doctor, I suppose murder doesn’t often come your way, but..."
Chapter 4 of The Man in Ratcatcher, and Other Stories by H. C. (Herman Cyril) McNeile holds 413 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 4 holds 413 sentences of The Man in Ratcatcher, and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Man in Ratcatcher, and Other Stories by H. C. (Herman Cyril) McNeile exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 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 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 Man in Ratcatcher, and Other Stories by H. C. (Herman Cyril) McNeile on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4866 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49590 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #49590, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 405 minutes of reading across 974 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Man in Ratcatcher, and Other Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Man in Ratcatcher, and Other Stories 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 Man in Ratcatcher, and Other Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
