Chapter 4 of The Poisoned Pen is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Poisoned Pen is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I know - the maid," continued Blake. "I do not mean that Mrs. Branford did the actual stealing. Oh, no. That was done by a yeggman of experience. He must have been above the average, but everything points to the work of a yeggman.
Chapter 4 of The Poisoned Pen is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/37 · 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.
presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible
From this reading “"I do not mean that Mrs. Branford did the actual stealing.”
approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value
From this reading “He must have been above the average, but everything points to the work of a yeggman.”
visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)
From this reading “"I know - the maid," continued Blake.”
without stop or interruption
From this reading “"I know - the maid," continued Blake.”
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading “That was done by a yeggman of experience.”
a female domestic
From this reading “"I know - the maid," continued Blake.”
plural of “point” — a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading “He must have been above the average, but everything points to the work of a yeggman.”
the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
From this reading “"I do not mean that Mrs. Branford did the actual stealing.”
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 That was done by a yeggman of experience.
higher than, or over, something
From this reading He must have been above the average, but everything points to the work of a yeggman.
presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible
From this reading "I do not mean that Mrs. Branford did the actual stealing.
approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value
From this reading He must have been above the average, but everything points to the work of a yeggman.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He must have been above the average, but everything points to the work of a yeggman.
visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)
From this reading "I know - the maid," continued Blake.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I do not mean that Mrs. Branford did the actual stealing.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He must have been above the average, but everything points to the work of a yeggman.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading That was done by a yeggman of experience.
without stop or interruption
From this reading "I know - the maid," continued Blake.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "I do not mean that Mrs. Branford did the actual stealing.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "I do not mean that Mrs. Branford did the actual stealing.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading That was done by a yeggman of experience.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading He must have been above the average, but everything points to the work of a yeggman.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading That was done by a yeggman of experience.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He must have been above the average, but everything points to the work of a yeggman.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He must have been above the average, but everything points to the work of a yeggman.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I know - the maid," continued Blake.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I know - the maid," continued Blake.
a female domestic
From this reading "I know - the maid," continued Blake.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "I do not mean that Mrs. Branford did the actual stealing.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "I do not mean that Mrs. Branford did the actual stealing.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading He must have been above the average, but everything points to the work of a yeggman.
not any; not one
From this reading Oh, no.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I do not mean that Mrs. Branford did the actual stealing.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading That was done by a yeggman of experience.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh, no.
plural of “point” — a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading He must have been above the average, but everything points to the work of a yeggman.
the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
From this reading "I do not mean that Mrs. Branford did the actual stealing.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I do not mean that Mrs. Branford did the actual stealing.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I know - the maid," continued Blake.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He must have been above the average, but everything points to the work of a yeggman.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That was done by a yeggman of experience.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading He must have been above the average, but everything points to the work of a yeggman.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That was done by a yeggman of experience.
Chapter 4 of The Poisoned Pen by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve holds 187 sentences, grouped into 38 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.
Chapter 4 holds 187 sentences of The Poisoned Pen, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Poisoned Pen by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 187 sentences, grouped into 38 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 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 38 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 4 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 Poisoned Pen by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6378 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1923 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1923, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 531 minutes of reading across 1276 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Poisoned Pen section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of The Poisoned Pen 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 Poisoned Pen, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
