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The Middle of Things
The Middle of Things

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of The Middle of Things is here in full — 162 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Middle of Things
Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.
Felpham's first glance showed his client that their purposes were in common.
"Seen that paragraph in the evening papers?" said Felpham without preface.
"By George! that's serious news!
What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!
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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 Middle of Things

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of The Middle of Things is here in full — 162 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.
Line 2
Felpham's first glance showed his client that their purposes were in common.
Line 3
"Seen that paragraph in the evening papers?" said Felpham without preface.
Line 4
"By George! that's serious news!
Line 5
What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!

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.

client noun US /ˈklaɪənt/

a person who seeks the advice of a lawyer

From this reading “Felpham's first glance showed his client that their purposes were in common.”

doings noun US /ˈduːɪŋz/

manner of acting or controlling yourself

From this reading “What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!”

outhouse noun US /ˈaʊthaʊs/

a small outbuilding with a bench having holes through which a user can defecate

From this reading “THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.”

paragraph noun US /ˈpærəɡræf/

one of several distinct subdivisions of a text intended to separate ideas; the beginning is usually marked by a new indented line

From this reading “"Seen that paragraph in the evening papers?" said Felpham without preface.”

preface noun US /ˈprefəs/

a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

From this reading “"Seen that paragraph in the evening papers?" said Felpham without preface.”

purposes noun US /ˈpɜːrpəsəz/

plural of “purpose” — an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading “Felpham's first glance showed his client that their purposes were in common.”

solicitor noun US /səˈlɪsətər/

a petitioner who solicits contributions or trade or votes

From this reading “THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.”

statement noun US /ˈsteɪtmənt/

a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc

From this reading “What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!”

All words in this reading · 51

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 THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "By George! that's serious news!

clientnounUS /ˈklaɪənt/

a person who seeks the advice of a lawyer

From this reading Felpham's first glance showed his client that their purposes were in common.

commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading Felpham's first glance showed his client that their purposes were in common.

cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

doingsnounUS /ˈduːɪŋz/

manner of acting or controlling yourself

From this reading What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading "Seen that paragraph in the evening papers?" said Felpham without preface.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

Felpham

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

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

Felpham's

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

From this reading Felpham's first glance showed his client that their purposes were in common.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Felpham's first glance showed his client that their purposes were in common.

GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading "By George! that's serious news!

glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/

throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading Felpham's first glance showed his client that their purposes were in common.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

hurrynounUS /ˈhɜːri/

a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

Hyde

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

From this reading What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!

murderverbUS /ˈmɜːrdər/

kill intentionally and with premeditation

From this reading What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!

NearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading "By George! that's serious news!

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!

OUTHOUSEnounUS /ˈaʊthaʊs/

a small outbuilding with a bench having holes through which a user can defecate

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

papersnounUS /ˈpeɪpərz/

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading "Seen that paragraph in the evening papers?" said Felpham without preface.

paragraphnounUS /ˈpærəɡræf/

one of several distinct subdivisions of a text intended to separate ideas; the beginning is usually marked by a new indented line

From this reading "Seen that paragraph in the evening papers?" said Felpham without preface.

pitynounUS /ˈpɪti/

a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others

From this reading What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!

police-station

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

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

prefacenounUS /ˈprefəs/

a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

From this reading "Seen that paragraph in the evening papers?" said Felpham without preface.

purposesnounUS /ˈpɜːrpəsəz/

plural of “purpose” — an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading Felpham's first glance showed his client that their purposes were in common.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Seen that paragraph in the evening papers?" said Felpham without preface.

SeenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "Seen that paragraph in the evening papers?" said Felpham without preface.

seriousadjectiveUS /ˈsɪriəs/

concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities

From this reading "By George! that's serious news!

showedverbUS /ʃoʊd/

past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Felpham's first glance showed his client that their purposes were in common.

solicitornounUS /səˈlɪsətər/

a petitioner who solicits contributions or trade or votes

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

statementnounUS /ˈsteɪtmənt/

a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc

From this reading What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Felpham's first glance showed his client that their purposes were in common.

that's

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

From this reading "By George! that's serious news!

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Felpham's first glance showed his client that their purposes were in common.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

Viner

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

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Felpham's first glance showed his client that their purposes were in common.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What a pity that Hyde ever made that statement about his doings on the night of the murder!

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE OUTHOUSE Near the police-station Viner fell in with his solicitor, Felpham, who turned a corner in a great hurry.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading "Seen that paragraph in the evening papers?" said Felpham without preface.

Chapter 15 of The Middle of Things by J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher holds 162 sentences, grouped into 33 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 15 of The Middle of Things contain?

Chapter 15 holds 162 sentences of The Middle of Things, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Middle of Things by J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 162 sentences, grouped into 33 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 15 of The Middle of Things?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Middle of Things

Common questions about reading The Middle of Things by J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Middle of Things?

Yes. All 4739 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9902 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Middle of Things is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #9902, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Middle of Things take to read?

About 394 minutes of reading across 948 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Middle of Things section by section

How to work through The Middle of Things section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Middle of Things 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 Middle of Things

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Middle of Things, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Sputter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Middle of Things; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Match
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Middle of Things; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Viner
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Middle of Things; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Recognized
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Middle of Things; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.