Chapter 23 of The Poisoned Pen is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of The Poisoned Pen is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face. "Indeed, nothing could please me more. What is it - a 'con' man or a hotel 'beat'?" McBride looked about to make sure that no one was listening. "Neither," he whispered.
Chapter 23 of The Poisoned Pen is here in full — 186 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.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading “What is it - a 'con' man or a hotel 'beat'?"”
an argument opposed to a proposal
From this reading “What is it - a 'con' man or a hotel 'beat'?"”
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading “"Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.”
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading “"Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.”
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading “What is it - a 'con' man or a hotel 'beat'?"”
discontinued temporarily
From this reading “"Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.”
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading “McBride looked about to make sure that no one was listening.”
the process of translating photographs into a digital form that can be recognized by a computer
From this reading “"Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.”
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 What is it - a 'con' man or a hotel 'beat'?"
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading McBride looked about to make sure that no one was listening.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading What is it - a 'con' man or a hotel 'beat'?"
an argument opposed to a proposal
From this reading What is it - a 'con' man or a hotel 'beat'?"
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "Indeed, nothing could please me more.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading "Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading "Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading "Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Neither," he whispered.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading What is it - a 'con' man or a hotel 'beat'?"
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading "Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading "Indeed, nothing could please me more.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading "Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.
discontinued temporarily
From this reading "Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What is it - a 'con' man or a hotel 'beat'?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading What is it - a 'con' man or a hotel 'beat'?"
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading McBride looked about to make sure that no one was listening.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading McBride looked about to make sure that no one was listening.
engage in
From this reading McBride looked about to make sure that no one was listening.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading What is it - a 'con' man or a hotel 'beat'?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading McBride looked about to make sure that no one was listening.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Indeed, nothing could please me more.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "Indeed, nothing could please me more.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading "Neither," he whispered.
not any; not one
From this reading McBride looked about to make sure that no one was listening.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "Indeed, nothing could please me more.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading What is it - a 'con' man or a hotel 'beat'?"
by chance
From this reading "Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading "Indeed, nothing could please me more.
on the contrary
From this reading "Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.
the process of translating photographs into a digital form that can be recognized by a computer
From this reading "Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading McBride looked about to make sure that no one was listening.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading McBride looked about to make sure that no one was listening.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading McBride looked about to make sure that no one was listening.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading McBride looked about to make sure that no one was listening.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What is it - a 'con' man or a hotel 'beat'?"
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading "Neither," he whispered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Perhaps you'd rather see one instead?" interrupted the house detective, eagerly scanning Craig's face.
Chapter 23 of The Poisoned Pen by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve holds 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 23 holds 186 sentences of The Poisoned Pen, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of The Poisoned Pen by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 186 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 23 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, unabridged. 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.
