Chapter 26 of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DIPLOMACY Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it. Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago. But precaution is never wasted. There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp. Mrs. May poured out a cup and handed it to her guest.
Chapter 26 of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
in bed
From this reading “Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.”
the trait of being cautious; being attentive to possible danger
From this reading “Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.”
negotiation between nations
From this reading “DIPLOMACY Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it.”
a frame of iron bars to hold a fire
From this reading “There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp.”
past form of “pour” — cause to run
From this reading “Mrs. May poured out a cup and handed it to her guest.”
a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.
From this reading “But precaution is never wasted.”
belonging to an early stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness
From this reading “Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.”
serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being
From this reading “But precaution is never wasted.”
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.
express without restraint
In this reading “Mrs. May poured out a cup and handed it to her guest.”
a lamp that burns a volatile liquid fuel such as alcohol
In this reading “There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp.”
In this reading “There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp.
in bed
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
in the past
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading DIPLOMACY Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But precaution is never wasted.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp.
the trait of being cautious; being attentive to possible danger
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading DIPLOMACY Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it.
a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans
From this reading There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp.
placed crosswise
From this reading DIPLOMACY Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it.
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading Mrs. May poured out a cup and handed it to her guest.
negotiation between nations
From this reading DIPLOMACY Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading DIPLOMACY Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
a frame of iron bars to hold a fire
From this reading There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp.
a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading Mrs. May poured out a cup and handed it to her guest.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading Mrs. May poured out a cup and handed it to her guest.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. May poured out a cup and handed it to her guest.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp.
a social unit living together
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But precaution is never wasted.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading DIPLOMACY Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp.
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading DIPLOMACY Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading DIPLOMACY Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading But precaution is never wasted.
without a sound
From this reading DIPLOMACY Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Mrs. May poured out a cup and handed it to her guest.
past form of “pour” — cause to run
From this reading Mrs. May poured out a cup and handed it to her guest.
a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.
From this reading But precaution is never wasted.
belonging to an early stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
with speed
From this reading DIPLOMACY Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading DIPLOMACY Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading DIPLOMACY Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago.
serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being
From this reading But precaution is never wasted.
Chapter 26 of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White holds 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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.
Chapter 26 holds 123 sentences of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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.
Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 25 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 26 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.
Common questions about reading The Mystery of the Ravenspurs by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8039 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48882 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #48882, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1608 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Mystery of the Ravenspurs section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Mystery of the Ravenspurs, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
