Chapter 3 of The Plunderers: A Novel is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Plunderers: A Novel is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!” “That _is_ difficult!” acquiesced the broker. “It is what I have to do. That is why I am here.” “You mean you wish us to give this money--” “No--no!
Chapter 3 of The Plunderers: A Novel is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
past form of “acquiesce” — to agree or express agreement
From this reading ““That _is_ difficult!” acquiesced the broker.”
a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
From this reading ““That _is_ difficult!” acquiesced the broker.”
money in the form of bills or coins
From this reading ““The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!””
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading ““The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!””
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 ““The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!””
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading ““The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!””
a person who is very poor
From this reading ““The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!””
English literary critic who collaborated with C. K. Ogden and contributed to the development of Basic English (1893-1979)
From this reading ““The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!””
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.
In this reading ““The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!””
In this reading ““The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!””
In this reading ““The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!””
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 “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
past form of “acquiesce” — to agree or express agreement
From this reading “That _is_ difficult!” acquiesced the broker.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading That is why I am here.”
aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
From this reading “That _is_ difficult!” acquiesced the broker.
money in the form of bills or coins
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “It is what I have to do.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
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 “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “It is what I have to do.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading That is why I am here.”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “It is what I have to do.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It is what I have to do.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading “You mean you wish us to give this money--” “No--no!
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
used to form the superlative
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
a form of address for a man
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
not any; not one
From this reading “You mean you wish us to give this money--” “No--no!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
a person who is very poor
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
English literary critic who collaborated with C. K. Ogden and contributed to the development of Basic English (1893-1979)
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “That _is_ difficult!” acquiesced the broker.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
a special situation
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “You mean you wish us to give this money--” “No--no!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “You mean you wish us to give this money--” “No--no!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “It is what I have to do.
which person or people
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading That is why I am here.”
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
hope for; have a wish
From this reading “You mean you wish us to give this money--” “No--no!
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading “The most difficult thing in the world, Mr. George B. Richards, is for a man to give money--in cash--to a woman who is not his wife or his mistress or a blood-relation or a pauper!”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You mean you wish us to give this money--” “No--no!
Chapter 3 of The Plunderers: A Novel by Edwin Lefevre holds 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 3 holds 412 sentences of The Plunderers: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Plunderers: A Novel by Edwin Lefevre exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 3 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 Plunderers: A Novel by Edwin Lefevre on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6578 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51970 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #51970, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 548 minutes of reading across 1316 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Plunderers: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of The Plunderers: A Novel 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 Plunderers: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
