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The Proof of the Pudding
The Proof of the Pudding

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The Proof of the Pudding is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Chapter 21 of The Proof of the Pudding by Meredith Nicholson holds 137 sentences, grouped into 28 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 21 of The Proof of the Pudding contain?

Chapter 21 holds 137 sentences of The Proof of the Pudding, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The Proof of the Pudding by Meredith Nicholson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 137 sentences, grouped into 28 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 21 of The Proof of the Pudding?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Proof of the Pudding

Common questions about reading The Proof of the Pudding by Meredith Nicholson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Proof of the Pudding?

Yes. All 5333 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #66354 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Proof of the Pudding is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #66354, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Proof of the Pudding take to read?

About 444 minutes of reading across 1067 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Proof of the Pudding section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 27 chapters of The Proof of the Pudding 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 Proof of the Pudding

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Proof of the Pudding, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Meredith
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Proof of the Pudding; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nicholson
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Proof of the Pudding; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Proof
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Proof of the Pudding; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pudding
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Proof of the Pudding; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cover illustration for The Proof of the Pudding
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.
“You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.
As I understand it there are fifteen shares held by employees to qualify as directors.
I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.”
“Those men paid for their stock and you have no right to touch it,” said Copeland.
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 Proof of the Pudding

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The Proof of the Pudding is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.
Line 2
“You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.
Line 3
As I understand it there are fifteen shares held by employees to qualify as directors.
Line 4
I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.”
Line 5
“Those men paid for their stock and you have no right to touch it,” said Copeland.

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, audio, and collocations from this reading.

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.””

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading ““Those men paid for their stock and you have no right to touch it,” said Copeland.”

Let auxiliary verb US /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading “I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.””

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading ““Those men paid for their stock and you have no right to touch it,” said Copeland.”

Under preposition US /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading ““You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.”

All words in this reading · 65

Every word is available to listen to. 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 A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.”

agreement

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

any

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

From this reading I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.”

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading As I understand it there are fifteen shares held by employees to qualify as directors.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As I understand it there are fifteen shares held by employees to qualify as directors.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.”

bought

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

From this reading A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading As I understand it there are fifteen shares held by employees to qualify as directors.

collateral

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

Copeland

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

From this reading A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.

directors

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

From this reading As I understand it there are fifteen shares held by employees to qualify as directors.

Eichberg

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

From this reading A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.

eighty-five

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

em

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

employees

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

From this reading As I understand it there are fifteen shares held by employees to qualify as directors.

fifteen

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

From this reading As I understand it there are fifteen shares held by employees to qualify as directors.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.”

fourteen

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

guess

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

From this reading I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.”

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Those men paid for their stock and you have no right to touch it,” said Copeland.

held

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

From this reading As I understand it there are fifteen shares held by employees to qualify as directors.

HOUSE

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

From this reading A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.

hundred

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading As I understand it there are fifteen shares held by employees to qualify as directors.

I've

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

From this reading A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading As I understand it there are fifteen shares held by employees to qualify as directors.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.”

men

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

From this reading “Those men paid for their stock and you have no right to touch it,” said Copeland.

National

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading “Those men paid for their stock and you have no right to touch it,” said Copeland.

paid

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

From this reading “Those men paid for their stock and you have no right to touch it,” said Copeland.

present

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

From this reading I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.”

private

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

put

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

qualify

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

From this reading As I understand it there are fifteen shares held by employees to qualify as directors.

right

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

From this reading “Those men paid for their stock and you have no right to touch it,” said Copeland.

said

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

From this reading “Those men paid for their stock and you have no right to touch it,” said Copeland.

sale

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

saying

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

From this reading A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.

shares

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

SOLVENT

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

From this reading A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.

stand

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

From this reading I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.”

stock

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

From this reading A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading “Those men paid for their stock and you have no right to touch it,” said Copeland.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.”

there

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

From this reading As I understand it there are fifteen shares held by employees to qualify as directors.

ThosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “Those men paid for their stock and you have no right to touch it,” said Copeland.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.

touch

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

From this reading “Those men paid for their stock and you have no right to touch it,” said Copeland.

trouble

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

From this reading I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.”

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

understand

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

From this reading As I understand it there are fifteen shares held by employees to qualify as directors.

up

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.

we'll

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

From this reading I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.”

Western

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

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

won't

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

From this reading I guess there won’t be any trouble about them, and we’ll let ’em stand for the present.”

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You put up fourteen hundred and eighty-five shares with the Western National and I’ve bought ’em in at private sale under your collateral agreement.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading A SOLVENT HOUSE “I’ve bought in your stock,” Eichberg was saying to Copeland.