The murders in Praed Street

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The murders in Praed Street is here in full — 208 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By John Rhode • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

His second was a sudden thrust of anxiety for Mr. Ludgrove’s safety.

In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

But, even to his keen ears, the house seemed as quiet as the grave.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXI Reading 1/41

The murders in Praed Street John Rhode

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The murders in Praed Street is here in full — 208 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room. He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together. His second was a sudden thrust of anxiety for Mr. Ludgrove’s safety. In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above. But, even to his keen ears, the house seemed as quiet as the grave.

The murders in Praed Street

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The murders in Praed Street is here in full — 208 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

/æn ˌekspləˈneɪʃən ðə prəˈfesərz fɜːrst ˈstɑːrtəld θɔːt kənˈsɜːrnd ðə ˈmænər ɪn wɪtʃ ðə mæn hæd ˈentərd ðə ruːm/

Line 2

He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

Line 3

His second was a sudden thrust of anxiety for Mr. Ludgrove’s safety.

Line 4

In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

/ɪn ðə kəmˈpliːt ˈsaɪ.ləns ʌv ðə ˈlɪtəl ruːm ˈɪntuː wɪtʃ noʊ saʊnd ˈpenətreɪtɪd bʌt ðə feɪnt loʊ ˈrʌmbəl ʌv ðə ˈtræfɪk ˈaʊtˈsaɪd hiː ˈlɪsənd fɔːr ðə saʊnd ʌv hɪz ˈfʊtsteps əˈbʌv/

Line 5

But, even to his keen ears, the house seemed as quiet as the grave.

/bʌt ˈiːvɪn tuː hɪz kiːn ɪrz ðə haʊs siːmd æz ˈkwaɪət æz ðə ɡreɪv/

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.

entry noun US /ˈentri/

an item inserted in a written record

From this reading “He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.”

Explanation noun US /ˌekspləˈneɪʃən/

a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.

From this reading “An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.”

footsteps noun US /ˈfʊtsteps/

plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking

From this reading “In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.”

lock verb US /lɑːk/

fasten with a lock

From this reading “He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.”

penetrated verb US /ˈpenətreɪtɪd/

past form of “penetrate” — pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance

From this reading “In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.”

Professor's noun US /prəˈfesərz/

possessive form of “professor” — someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university

rumble verb US /ˈrʌmbəl/

make a low noise

From this reading “In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.”

traffic noun US /ˈtræfɪk/

the aggregation of things (pedestrians or vehicles) coming and going in a particular locality during a specified period of time

From this reading “In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.”

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.

lock the door verb + article + noun counted as “lock … door”

In this reading “He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.”

entered the room verb + article + noun counted as “enter … room”

In this reading “An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.”

complete silence verb + noun

In this reading “In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.”

keen ears adjective + noun counted as “keen ear”

In this reading “But, even to his keen ears, the house seemed as quiet as the grave.”

rumble of verb + particle

In this reading “In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.”

little room adjective + noun

In this reading “In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.”

All words in this reading · 68

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 His second was a sudden thrust of anxiety for Mr. Ludgrove’s safety.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

AndeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

anxietynounUS /æŋˈzaɪəti/

(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic

From this reading His second was a sudden thrust of anxiety for Mr. Ludgrove’s safety.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading But, even to his keen ears, the house seemed as quiet as the grave.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

carefuladjectiveUS /ˈkerfəl/

exercising caution or showing care or attention

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

completeverbUS /kəmˈpliːt/

come or bring to a finish or an end

From this reading In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

concernedadjectiveUS /kənˈsɜːrnd/

feeling or showing worry or solicitude

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

earsnounUS /ɪrz/

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading But, even to his keen ears, the house seemed as quiet as the grave.

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

entrynounUS /ˈentri/

an item inserted in a written record

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading But, even to his keen ears, the house seemed as quiet as the grave.

ExplanationnounUS /ˌekspləˈneɪʃən/

a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

faintadjectiveUS /feɪnt/

deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

footstepsnounUS /ˈfʊtsteps/

plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking

From this reading In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading His second was a sudden thrust of anxiety for Mr. Ludgrove’s safety.

gravenounUS /ɡreɪv/

death of a person

From this reading But, even to his keen ears, the house seemed as quiet as the grave.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading But, even to his keen ears, the house seemed as quiet as the grave.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

keenadjectiveUS /kiːn/

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading But, even to his keen ears, the house seemed as quiet as the grave.

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

lockverbUS /lɑːk/

fasten with a lock

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

Ludgrove

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

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

Ludgrove's

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

From this reading His second was a sudden thrust of anxiety for Mr. Ludgrove’s safety.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

penetratedverbUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪd/

past form of “penetrate” — pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance

From this reading In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

Professor'snounUS /prəˈfesərz/

possessive form of “professor” — someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading But, even to his keen ears, the house seemed as quiet as the grave.

rememberedverbUS /rɪˈmembərd/

past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

rumbleverbUS /ˈrʌmbəl/

make a low noise

From this reading In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

safetynounUS /ˈseɪfti/

the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions

From this reading His second was a sudden thrust of anxiety for Mr. Ludgrove’s safety.

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading His second was a sudden thrust of anxiety for Mr. Ludgrove’s safety.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading But, even to his keen ears, the house seemed as quiet as the grave.

shopverbUS /ʃɑːp/

do one's shopping

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

startledadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtəld/

excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading His second was a sudden thrust of anxiety for Mr. Ludgrove’s safety.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

thrustverbUS /θrʌst/

push forcefully

From this reading His second was a sudden thrust of anxiety for Mr. Ludgrove’s safety.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

trafficnounUS /ˈtræfɪk/

the aggregation of things (pedestrians or vehicles) coming and going in a particular locality during a specified period of time

From this reading In the complete silence of the little room, into which no sound penetrated but the faint low rumble of the traffic outside, he listened for the sound of his footsteps above.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading His second was a sudden thrust of anxiety for Mr. Ludgrove’s safety.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading He had heard no sound of his entry, and he remembered that Mr. Ludgrove had been careful to lock the door of the shop when they had come in together.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading An Explanation The Professor’s first startled thought concerned the manner in which the man had entered the room.

Chapter 21 of The murders in Praed Street by John Rhode holds 208 sentences, grouped into 42 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 murders in Praed Street contain?

Chapter 21 holds 208 sentences of The murders in Praed Street, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The murders in Praed Street by John Rhode exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 208 sentences, grouped into 42 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 murders in Praed Street?

Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 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 murders in Praed Street

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Yes. All 4814 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72926 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #72926, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 401 minutes of reading across 963 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The murders in Praed Street

Words and structures a reader meets early in The murders in Praed Street, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Praed: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The murders in Praed Street; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Street: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The murders in Praed Street; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
London: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The murders in Praed Street; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brighter: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The murders in Praed Street; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXI

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