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The Prisoner
The Prisoner

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of The Prisoner is here in full — 409 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Prisoner
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.
To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.
Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.
They're capital people.
We'll talk to them again."
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Prisoner

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of The Prisoner is here in full — 409 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.
Line 2
To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.
Line 3
Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.
Line 4
They're capital people.
Line 5
We'll talk to them again."

Learner Dictionary

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.

capital noun US /ˈkæpətəl/

assets available for use in the production of further assets

From this reading “They're capital people.”

fancied adjective US /ˈfænsid/

formed or conceived by the imagination

From this reading “Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.”

hanging noun US /ˈhæŋɪŋ/

decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window

From this reading “Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.”

Hundreds noun US /ˈhʌndrədz/

plural of “hundred” — ten 10s

From this reading “Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.”

naked adjective US /ˈneɪkəd/

completely unclothed

From this reading “"Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.”

ornament verb US /ˈɔːrnəmənt/

make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.

From this reading “"Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.”

rapidly adverb US /ˈræpədli/

with speed

From this reading “"Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.”

sung noun US /sʌŋ/

the imperial dynasty of China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy

From this reading “Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.”

All words in this reading · 60

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading We'll talk to them again."

Ah

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

capitalnounUS /ˈkæpətəl/

assets available for use in the production of further assets

From this reading They're capital people.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

fanciedadjectiveUS /ˈfænsid/

formed or conceived by the imagination

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

gamenounUS /ɡeɪm/

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

God-forsaken

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

hangingnounUS /ˈhæŋɪŋ/

decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

HundredsnounUS /ˈhʌndrədz/

plural of “hundred” — ten 10s

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

Jeffrey

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

lisping

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

minutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

nakedadjectiveUS /ˈneɪkəd/

completely unclothed

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

ornamentverbUS /ˈɔːrnəmənt/

make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading They're capital people.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

rapidlyadverbUS /ˈræpədli/

with speed

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

spotnounUS /spɑːt/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

sungnounUS /sʌŋ/

the imperial dynasty of China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

talkverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading We'll talk to them again."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

They're

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading They're capital people.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading To think I should have to come back here to this God-forsaken spot for a minute of the old game.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

tonenounUS /toʊn/

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

We'll

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We'll talk to them again."

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading Hundreds hanging on my voice--" he fancied she had forgotten now whether she had not sung to them--"and feeling what I told them to feel.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Ah, Jeffrey," said she rapidly, in a low but quite a naked tone with no lisping ornament, "this is a night.

Chapter 14 of The Prisoner by Alice Brown holds 409 sentences, grouped into 82 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.

What does chapter 14 of The Prisoner contain?

Chapter 14 holds 409 sentences of The Prisoner, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of The Prisoner by Alice Brown exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 409 sentences, grouped into 82 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.

How do I study chapter 14 of The Prisoner?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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.

Can chapter 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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.

Questions about reading The Prisoner

Common questions about reading The Prisoner by Alice Brown on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Prisoner?

Yes. All 10669 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29366 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Prisoner is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #29366, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Prisoner take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2134 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Prisoner section by section

How to work through The Prisoner section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Prisoner to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Prisoner

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Prisoner, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Macmillan
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Prisoner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Canada
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Prisoner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Prisoner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Children
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Prisoner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.