Chapter 15 of The Opal Serpent is here in full — 294 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of The Opal Serpent is here in full — 294 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly. "Then you can be no true lover," retorted the widow. "I disagree with you. A true lover does not talk to all and sundry concerning the most sacred feelings of his heart. Moreover, your remarks at our last meeting were not to my taste."
Chapter 15 of The Opal Serpent is here in full — 294 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/58 · 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 a blunt direct manner
From this reading “A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.”
a slight indication
From this reading “A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.”
be of different opinions
From this reading “"I disagree with you.”
United States operatic soprano (born in 1945)
From this reading “A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.”
plural of “remark” — a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
From this reading “Moreover, your remarks at our last meeting were not to my taste."”
past form of “retort” — answer back
From this reading “"Then you can be no true lover," retorted the widow.”
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
From this reading “A true lover does not talk to all and sundry concerning the most sacred feelings of his heart.”
a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading “"Then you can be no true lover," retorted the widow.”
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 A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.
(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 A true lover does not talk to all and sundry concerning the most sacred feelings of his heart.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A true lover does not talk to all and sundry concerning the most sacred feelings of his heart.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Moreover, your remarks at our last meeting were not to my taste."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Then you can be no true lover," retorted the widow.
in a blunt direct manner
From this reading A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Then you can be no true lover," retorted the widow.
a slight indication
From this reading A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.
-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to
From this reading A true lover does not talk to all and sundry concerning the most sacred feelings of his heart.
be of different opinions
From this reading "I disagree with you.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A true lover does not talk to all and sundry concerning the most sacred feelings of his heart.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.
emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)
From this reading A true lover does not talk to all and sundry concerning the most sacred feelings of his heart.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading A true lover does not talk to all and sundry concerning the most sacred feelings of his heart.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A true lover does not talk to all and sundry concerning the most sacred feelings of his heart.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.
immediately past
From this reading Moreover, your remarks at our last meeting were not to my taste."
a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
From this reading "Then you can be no true lover," retorted the widow.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading Moreover, your remarks at our last meeting were not to my taste."
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.
in addition to what has just been said
From this reading Moreover, your remarks at our last meeting were not to my taste."
used to form the superlative
From this reading A true lover does not talk to all and sundry concerning the most sacred feelings of his heart.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Moreover, your remarks at our last meeting were not to my taste."
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.
not any; not one
From this reading "Then you can be no true lover," retorted the widow.
United States operatic soprano (born in 1945)
From this reading A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A true lover does not talk to all and sundry concerning the most sacred feelings of his heart.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Moreover, your remarks at our last meeting were not to my taste."
United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.
plural of “remark” — a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
From this reading Moreover, your remarks at our last meeting were not to my taste."
past form of “retort” — answer back
From this reading "Then you can be no true lover," retorted the widow.
concerned with religion or religious purposes
From this reading A true lover does not talk to all and sundry concerning the most sacred feelings of his heart.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
From this reading A true lover does not talk to all and sundry concerning the most sacred feelings of his heart.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.
To perceive flavor through the mouth.
From this reading Moreover, your remarks at our last meeting were not to my taste."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Then you can be no true lover," retorted the widow.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Then you can be no true lover," retorted the widow.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading "Then you can be no true lover," retorted the widow.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Moreover, your remarks at our last meeting were not to my taste."
a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading "Then you can be no true lover," retorted the widow.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading A NEW CLUE "I don't wish to talk of Miss Norman," said Paul, bluntly.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "I disagree with you.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Then you can be no true lover," retorted the widow.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Moreover, your remarks at our last meeting were not to my taste."
Chapter 15 of The Opal Serpent by Fergus Hume holds 294 sentences, grouped into 59 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 15 holds 294 sentences of The Opal Serpent, unabridged, divided into 59 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of The Opal Serpent by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 294 sentences, grouped into 59 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 59 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 59 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Opal Serpent by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6169 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24769 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24769, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 514 minutes of reading across 1234 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Opal Serpent section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Opal Serpent 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 Opal Serpent, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
