Chapter 29 of The Poisoned Pen is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIX
Chapter 29 of The Poisoned Pen is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye. You told me you were able to make gold. Instead, you make foolish prophecies. I'll put no money into such tomfoolery. I'm a practical man,' and with that he stamped out of the laboratory.
Chapter 29 of The Poisoned Pen is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/38 · 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.
a feeling of intense indignation (now used only in the phrase “in high dudgeon”)
From this reading “"'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.”
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading “Instead, you make foolish prophecies.”
a farewell remark
From this reading “"'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.”
the creation of something in the mind
From this reading “"'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.”
a workplace for the conduct of scientific research
From this reading “I'm a practical man,' and with that he stamped out of the laboratory.”
concerned with actual use or practice
From this reading “I'm a practical man,' and with that he stamped out of the laboratory.”
plural of “prophecy” — knowledge of the future (usually said to be obtained from a divine source)
From this reading “Instead, you make foolish prophecies.”
past form of “stamp” — walk heavily
From this reading “I'm a practical man,' and with that he stamped out of the laboratory.”
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 "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading You told me you were able to make gold.
(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 "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I'm a practical man,' and with that he stamped out of the laboratory.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
a feeling of intense indignation (now used only in the phrase “in high dudgeon”)
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading Instead, you make foolish prophecies.
coins made of gold
From this reading You told me you were able to make gold.
a farewell remark
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I'm a practical man,' and with that he stamped out of the laboratory.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'll put no money into such tomfoolery.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm a practical man,' and with that he stamped out of the laboratory.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading Instead, you make foolish prophecies.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading I'll put no money into such tomfoolery.
the creation of something in the mind
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
a workplace for the conduct of scientific research
From this reading I'm a practical man,' and with that he stamped out of the laboratory.
engage in
From this reading You told me you were able to make gold.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading I'll put no money into such tomfoolery.
not any; not one
From this reading I'll put no money into such tomfoolery.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I'm a practical man,' and with that he stamped out of the laboratory.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I'm a practical man,' and with that he stamped out of the laboratory.
offensive term for a homosexual man
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
concerned with actual use or practice
From this reading I'm a practical man,' and with that he stamped out of the laboratory.
plural of “prophecy” — knowledge of the future (usually said to be obtained from a divine source)
From this reading Instead, you make foolish prophecies.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I'll put no money into such tomfoolery.
past form of “stamp” — walk heavily
From this reading I'm a practical man,' and with that he stamped out of the laboratory.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading I'll put no money into such tomfoolery.
express in words
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading You told me you were able to make gold.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading You told me you were able to make gold.
foolish or senseless behavior
From this reading I'll put no money into such tomfoolery.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading You told me you were able to make gold.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I'm a practical man,' and with that he stamped out of the laboratory.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You told me you were able to make gold.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "'Pouf!' exclaimed the old man in a dudgeon, 'if that is all your invention can tell me, good-bye.
Chapter 29 of The Poisoned Pen by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve holds 194 sentences, grouped into 39 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 29 holds 194 sentences of The Poisoned Pen, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 29 of The Poisoned Pen by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 194 sentences, grouped into 39 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 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 39 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 29 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.
