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The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of The Mystery of Edwin Drood is here in full — 235 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Charles Dickens • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Mystery of Edwin Drood

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

The Christmas recess was at hand.

What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

A noticeable relaxation of discipline had for some few days pervaded the Nuns’ House.

Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XIII Reading 1/47

The Mystery of Edwin Drood Charles Dickens

Cover illustration for The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Chapter XIII

Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of The Mystery of Edwin Drood is here in full — 235 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush. The Christmas recess was at hand. What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow. A noticeable relaxation of discipline had for some few days pervaded the Nuns’ House. Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of The Mystery of Edwin Drood is here in full — 235 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/47 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

Line 2

The Christmas recess was at hand.

Line 3

What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

Line 4

A noticeable relaxation of discipline had for some few days pervaded the Nuns’ House.

Line 5

Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

All words in this reading · 71

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.

a

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

From this reading BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

about

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

From this reading BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

and

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

as

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

AT

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

From this reading BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

bedrooms

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

been

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

being

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

BEST

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

From this reading BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

BOTH

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

From this reading BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

but

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

by

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

called

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

carved

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

Christmas

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

From this reading The Christmas recess was at hand.

Club

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

collegiate

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

curling

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

days

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

From this reading A noticeable relaxation of discipline had for some few days pervaded the Nuns’ House.

discipline

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

From this reading A noticeable relaxation of discipline had for some few days pervaded the Nuns’ House.

dressed

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

elegant

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

erudite

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

establishment

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

From this reading BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

even

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

expire

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

few

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

From this reading A noticeable relaxation of discipline had for some few days pervaded the Nuns’ House.

for

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

From this reading A noticeable relaxation of discipline had for some few days pervaded the Nuns’ House.

had

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

half

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

hand

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

From this reading The Christmas recess was at hand.

handed

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

herself

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

House

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

From this reading A noticeable relaxation of discipline had for some few days pervaded the Nuns’ House.

hush

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

From this reading BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

in

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

Miss

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

From this reading BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

more

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

no

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

noticeable

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

From this reading A noticeable relaxation of discipline had for some few days pervaded the Nuns’ House.

now

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

Nuns

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

From this reading A noticeable relaxation of discipline had for some few days pervaded the Nuns’ House.

occurred

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

of

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

From this reading A noticeable relaxation of discipline had for some few days pervaded the Nuns’ House.

once

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

pair

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

period

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

pervaded

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

From this reading A noticeable relaxation of discipline had for some few days pervaded the Nuns’ House.

recess

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

From this reading The Christmas recess was at hand.

relaxation

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

From this reading A noticeable relaxation of discipline had for some few days pervaded the Nuns’ House.

remote

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

round

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

scissors

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

serene

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

From this reading BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

some

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

From this reading A noticeable relaxation of discipline had for some few days pervaded the Nuns’ House.

strictly

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

suppers

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

term

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

The

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

From this reading The Christmas recess was at hand.

THEIR

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

From this reading BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

to

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

From this reading BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

to-morrow

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

tongs

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

tongue

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

Twinkleton

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

Twinkleton's

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

From this reading BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

undergo

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

From this reading BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

was

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

From this reading BOTH AT THEIR BEST Miss Twinkleton’s establishment was about to undergo a serene hush.

What

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

with

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

From this reading Club suppers had occurred in the bedrooms, and a dressed tongue had been carved with a pair of scissors, and handed round with the curling tongs.

would

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

From this reading What had once, and at no remote period, been called, even by the erudite Miss Twinkleton herself, “the half,” but what was now called, as being more elegant, and more strictly collegiate, “the term,” would expire to-morrow.

Chapter 13 of The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens holds 235 sentences, grouped into 47 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 13 of The Mystery of Edwin Drood contain?

Chapter 13 holds 235 sentences of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 235 sentences, grouped into 47 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 13 of The Mystery of Edwin Drood?

Work through the 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 47 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 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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 Mystery of Edwin Drood

Common questions about reading The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Mystery of Edwin Drood?

Yes. All 5297 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #564 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Mystery of Edwin Drood is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #564, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mystery of Edwin Drood take to read?

About 441 minutes of reading across 1060 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Mystery of Edwin Drood section by section

How to work through The Mystery of Edwin Drood section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 23 chapters of The Mystery of Edwin Drood to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Ancient: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mystery of Edwin Drood; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
English: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mystery of Edwin Drood; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cathedral: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mystery of Edwin Drood; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tower: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mystery of Edwin Drood; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.