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The Man Without a Memory
The Man Without a Memory

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The Man Without a Memory is here in full — 258 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Man Without a Memory
Context Illustration Reading 1/51 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
OFF!
The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.
We were done.
That was a certainty.
I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.
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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 Without a Memory

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The Man Without a Memory is here in full — 258 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/51 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
OFF!
/ɔːf/
Line 2
The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.
Line 3
We were done.
/wiː wɜːr dʌn/
Line 4
That was a certainty.
/ðæt wɑːz ə ˈsɜːrtənti/
Line 5
I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

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.

bluffed verb US /blʌft/

past form of “bluff” — deceive an opponent by a bold bet on an inferior hand with the result that the opponent withdraws a winning hand

From this reading “I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.”

certainty noun US /ˈsɜːrtənti/

the state of being certain

From this reading “That was a certainty.”

Jew noun US /dʒuː/

a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties

From this reading “The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.”

Jimmy verb US /ˈdʒɪmi/

to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open

From this reading “I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.”

knocked verb US /nɑːkt/

past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading “The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.”

Lamb noun US /læm/

young sheep

From this reading “I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.”

official adjective US /əˈfɪʃəl/

having official authority or sanction

From this reading “I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.”

proposition noun US /ˌprɑːpəˈzɪʃən/

(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false

From this reading “I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.”

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.

for the moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

In this reading “The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.”

All words in this reading · 47

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 That was a certainty.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

authoritynounUS /əˈθɔːrəti/

the power or right to give orders or make decisions

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

bluffedverbUS /blʌft/

past form of “bluff” — deceive an opponent by a bold bet on an inferior hand with the result that the opponent withdraws a winning hand

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

certaintynounUS /ˈsɜːrtənti/

the state of being certain

From this reading That was a certainty.

companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading We were done.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

Gratzen

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

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

JewnounUS /dʒuː/

a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

JimmyverbUS /ˈdʒɪmi/

to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

knockedverbUS /nɑːkt/

past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

LambnounUS /læm/

young sheep

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

OFFadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading OFF!

officialadjectiveUS /əˈfɪʃəl/

having official authority or sanction

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

piecesnounUS /ˈpiːsəz/

plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

policenounUS /pəˈliːs/

the force of policemen and officers

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

probablyadverbUS /ˈprɑːbəbliː/

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

propositionnounUS /ˌprɑːpəˈzɪʃən/

(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That was a certainty.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

von

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

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading That was a certainty.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We were done.

Welten

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

From this reading The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked me all to pieces for the moment.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading We were done.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

Chapter 21 of The Man Without a Memory by Arthur W. Marchmont holds 258 sentences, grouped into 52 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 21 of The Man Without a Memory contain?

Chapter 21 holds 258 sentences of The Man Without a Memory, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The Man Without a Memory by Arthur W. Marchmont exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 258 sentences, grouped into 52 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 21 of The Man Without a Memory?

Work through the 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 52 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Without a Memory

Common questions about reading The Man Without a Memory by Arthur W. Marchmont on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Man Without a Memory?

Yes. All 6643 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35516 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Man Without a Memory is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #35516, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Man Without a Memory take to read?

About 553 minutes of reading across 1329 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Man Without a Memory section by section

How to work through The Man Without a Memory section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of The Man Without a Memory 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 Without a Memory

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Man Without a Memory, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Man Without a Memory; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Throne
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Man Without a Memory; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Various
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Man Without a Memory; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Editions
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Man Without a Memory; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.