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The Man in the Brown Suit
The Man in the Brown Suit

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The Man in the Brown Suit is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Agatha Christie • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Man in the Brown Suit
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.
Instead I shall write a short article entitled “Secretaries I have had.”
As regards secretaries, I seem to have fallen under a blight.
At one minute I have no secretaries, at another I have too many.
At the present minute I am journeying to Rhodesia with a pack of women.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Man in the Brown Suit

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The Man in the Brown Suit is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.
Line 2
Instead I shall write a short article entitled “Secretaries I have had.”
/ˌɪnˈsted aɪ ʃæl raɪt ə ʃɔːrt ˈɑːrtəkəl enˈtaɪtəld ˈsekrəteriz aɪ hæv hæd/
Line 3
As regards secretaries, I seem to have fallen under a blight.
/æz rɪˈɡɑːrdz ˈsekrəteriz aɪ siːm tuː hæv ˈfɑːlən ˈʌndər ə blaɪt/
Line 4
At one minute I have no secretaries, at another I have too many.
/æt wʌn ˈmɪnət aɪ hæv noʊ ˈsekrəteriz æt əˈnʌðər aɪ hæv tuː ˈmeni/
Line 5
At the present minute I am journeying to Rhodesia with a pack of women.
/æt ðə ˈprezənt ˈmɪnət aɪ æm ˈdʒɜːrniɪŋ tuː roʊˈdiːʒə wɪð ə pæk ʌv ˈwɪmən/

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.

blight noun US /blaɪt/

a state or condition being blighted

From this reading “As regards secretaries, I seem to have fallen under a blight.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
diary noun US /ˈdaɪəri/

a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations

From this reading “_(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Extract verb US /ˈekstrækt/

remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense

From this reading “_(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
journeying noun US /ˈdʒɜːrniɪŋ/

the act of traveling from one place to another

From this reading “At the present minute I am journeying to Rhodesia with a pack of women.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
regards noun US /rɪˈɡɑːrdz/

plural of “regard” — (usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading “As regards secretaries, I seem to have fallen under a blight.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Reminiscences noun US /ˌreməˈnɪsənsɪz/

plural of “reminiscence” — a mental impression retained and recalled from the past

From this reading “_(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Rhodesia noun US /roʊˈdiːʒə/

a landlocked republic in south central Africa formerly called Rhodesia; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1980

From this reading “At the present minute I am journeying to Rhodesia with a pack of women.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
secretaries noun US /ˈsekrəteriz/

plural of “secretary” — a person who is head of an administrative department of government

From this reading “Instead I shall write a short article entitled “Secretaries I have had.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

Extract from verb + particle

In this reading “_(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.”

5,621 times in 426,211 chapters
too many adverb + adjective

In this reading “At one minute I have no secretaries, at another I have too many.”

13,092 times in 426,211 chapters
pack of verb + particle

In this reading “At the present minute I am journeying to Rhodesia with a pack of women.”

6,057 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 44

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 Instead I shall write a short article entitled “Secretaries I have had.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
abandonverbUS /əˈbændən/

forsake, leave behind

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading At one minute I have no secretaries, at another I have too many.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
articlenounUS /ˈɑːrtəkəl/

nonfictional prose forming an independent part of a publication

From this reading Instead I shall write a short article entitled “Secretaries I have had.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As regards secretaries, I seem to have fallen under a blight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At one minute I have no secretaries, at another I have too many.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
blightnounUS /blaɪt/

a state or condition being blighted

From this reading As regards secretaries, I seem to have fallen under a blight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
diarynounUS /ˈdaɪəri/

a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
entitledadjectiveUS /enˈtaɪtəld/

qualified for by right according to law

From this reading Instead I shall write a short article entitled “Secretaries I have had.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Eustace

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

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

Pending verification
ExtractverbUS /ˈekstrækt/

remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading As regards secretaries, I seem to have fallen under a blight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Instead I shall write a short article entitled “Secretaries I have had.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Instead I shall write a short article entitled “Secretaries I have had.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inclinedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈklaɪnd/

(often followed by “to”) having a preference, disposition, or tendency

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
InsteadadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsted/

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading Instead I shall write a short article entitled “Secretaries I have had.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
journeyingnounUS /ˈdʒɜːrniɪŋ/

the act of traveling from one place to another

From this reading At the present minute I am journeying to Rhodesia with a pack of women.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading At one minute I have no secretaries, at another I have too many.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
minutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

From this reading At one minute I have no secretaries, at another I have too many.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading At one minute I have no secretaries, at another I have too many.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading At one minute I have no secretaries, at another I have too many.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
packverbUS /pæk/

arrange in a container

From this reading At the present minute I am journeying to Rhodesia with a pack of women.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Pedler

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

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

Pending verification
presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading At the present minute I am journeying to Rhodesia with a pack of women.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
regardsnounUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdz/

plural of “regard” — (usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading As regards secretaries, I seem to have fallen under a blight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ReminiscencesnounUS /ˌreməˈnɪsənsɪz/

plural of “reminiscence” — a mental impression retained and recalled from the past

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RhodesianounUS /roʊˈdiːʒə/

a landlocked republic in south central Africa formerly called Rhodesia; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1980

From this reading At the present minute I am journeying to Rhodesia with a pack of women.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SecretariesnounUS /ˈsekrəteriz/

plural of “secretary” — a person who is head of an administrative department of government

From this reading Instead I shall write a short article entitled “Secretaries I have had.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading As regards secretaries, I seem to have fallen under a blight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading Instead I shall write a short article entitled “Secretaries I have had.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading Instead I shall write a short article entitled “Secretaries I have had.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading _(Extract from the diary of Sir Eustace Pedler)_ I am inclined to abandon my Reminiscences.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading At one minute I have no secretaries, at another I have too many.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading As regards secretaries, I seem to have fallen under a blight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading At the present minute I am journeying to Rhodesia with a pack of women.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading At the present minute I am journeying to Rhodesia with a pack of women.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
writeverbUS /raɪt/

produce a literary work

From this reading Instead I shall write a short article entitled “Secretaries I have had.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 23 of The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie holds 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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 23 of The Man in the Brown Suit contain?

Chapter 23 holds 131 sentences of The Man in the Brown Suit, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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 23 of The Man in the Brown Suit?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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.

Questions about reading The Man in the Brown Suit

Common questions about reading The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Man in the Brown Suit?

Yes. All 6851 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61168 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Man in the Brown Suit is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #61168, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Man in the Brown Suit take to read?

About 570 minutes of reading across 1371 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Man in the Brown Suit section by section

How to work through The Man in the Brown Suit section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 37 chapters of The Man in the Brown Suit to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Man in the Brown Suit

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Man in the Brown Suit, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Nadina
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Man in the Brown Suit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Russian
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Man in the Brown Suit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dancer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Man in the Brown Suit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Taken
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Man in the Brown Suit; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.