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The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu
The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu is here in full — 167 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Smith stepped quietly across the room and tried the door.
It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.
Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.
A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.
Dr. Fu-Manchu!” whispered Smith, grasping my arm.
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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 Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu is here in full — 167 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Smith stepped quietly across the room and tried the door.
/smɪθ stept ˈkwaɪətli əˈkrɔːs ðə ruːm ənd traɪd ðə dɔːr/
Line 2
It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.
/ɪt pruːvd tuː biː ənˈlɑːkt ənd æn ˈɪnstənt ˈleɪtər wiː wɜːr boʊθ ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ɪn ðə ˈpæsədʒ/
Line 3
Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.
/koʊˈɪnsədənt wɪð ˈaʊər ərˈaɪvəl ðer ərˈoʊz ə ˈsʌdən ˈaʊtkraɪ frʌm sʌm pleɪs æt ðə ˈwestwərd end/
Line 4
A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.
Line 5
Dr. Fu-Manchu!” whispered Smith, grasping my arm.

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.

alternated verb US /ˈɔːltərneɪtɪd/

past form of “alternate” — go back and forth; swing back and forth between two states or conditions

From this reading “A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.”

Coincident adjective US /koʊˈɪnsədənt/

occurring or operating at the same time

From this reading “Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.”

grating noun US /ˈɡreɪtɪŋ/

a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air

From this reading “A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.”

guttural adjective US /ˈɡʌtərəl/

like the sounds of frogs and crows

From this reading “A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.”

hissing noun US /ˈhɪsɪŋ/

a fricative sound (especially as an expression of disapproval)

From this reading “A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.”

outcry noun US /ˈaʊtkraɪ/

a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

From this reading “Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.”

unlocked adjective US /ənˈlɑːkt/

not firmly fastened or secured

From this reading “It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.”

westward adverb US /ˈwestwərd/

toward the west

From this reading “Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.”

All words in this reading · 56

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 Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Smith stepped quietly across the room and tried the door.

alternatedverbUS /ˈɔːltərneɪtɪd/

past form of “alternate” — go back and forth; swing back and forth between two states or conditions

From this reading A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Smith stepped quietly across the room and tried the door.

angernounUS /ˈæŋɡər/

a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance

From this reading A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.

armnounUS /ɑːrm/

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading “Dr. Fu-Manchu!” whispered Smith, grasping my arm.

aroseverbUS /ərˈoʊz/

inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape

From this reading Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

arrivalnounUS /ərˈaɪvəl/

accomplishment of an objective

From this reading Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.

CoincidentadjectiveUS /koʊˈɪnsədənt/

occurring or operating at the same time

From this reading Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Smith stepped quietly across the room and tried the door.

Dr

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

From this reading “Dr. Fu-Manchu!” whispered Smith, grasping my arm.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

Fu-Manchu

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

From this reading “Dr. Fu-Manchu!” whispered Smith, grasping my arm.

graspingnounUS /ˈɡræspɪŋ/

understanding with difficulty

From this reading “Dr. Fu-Manchu!” whispered Smith, grasping my arm.

gratingnounUS /ˈɡreɪtɪŋ/

a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air

From this reading A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.

gutturaladjectiveUS /ˈɡʌtərəl/

like the sounds of frogs and crows

From this reading A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.

high-pitchedadjective

used of sounds and voices; high in pitch or frequency

From this reading A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.

hissingnounUS /ˈhɪsɪŋ/

a fricative sound (especially as an expression of disapproval)

From this reading A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.

instantnounUS /ˈɪnstənt/

a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)

From this reading It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “Dr. Fu-Manchu!” whispered Smith, grasping my arm.

notesnounUS /noʊts/

plural of “note” — a brief written record

From this reading A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

outcrynounUS /ˈaʊtkraɪ/

a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

From this reading Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.

passagenounUS /ˈpæsədʒ/

the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

provedadjectiveUS /pruːvd/

established beyond doubt

From this reading It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.

quietlyadverbUS /ˈkwaɪətli/

with low volume

From this reading Smith stepped quietly across the room and tried the door.

raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading Smith stepped quietly across the room and tried the door.

serpent-like

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

From this reading A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.

SmithnounUS /smɪθ/

Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading Smith stepped quietly across the room and tried the door.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

steppedverbUS /stept/

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading Smith stepped quietly across the room and tried the door.

suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Smith stepped quietly across the room and tried the door.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.

triedadjectiveUS /traɪd/

tested and proved useful or correct

From this reading Smith stepped quietly across the room and tried the door.

unlockedadjectiveUS /ənˈlɑːkt/

not firmly fastened or secured

From this reading It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

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

From this reading A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading It proved to be unlocked, and an instant later, we were both outside in the passage.

westwardadverbUS /ˈwestwərd/

toward the west

From this reading Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading A high-pitched, grating voice, in which guttural notes alternated with a serpent-like hissing, was raised in anger.

whisperedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪspərd/

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

From this reading “Dr. Fu-Manchu!” whispered Smith, grasping my arm.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Coincident with our arrival there, arose a sudden outcry from some place at the westward end.

Chapter 13 of The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer holds 167 sentences, grouped into 34 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.

What does chapter 13 of The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu contain?

Chapter 13 holds 167 sentences of The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 167 sentences, grouped into 34 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 13 of The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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 Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu

Common questions about reading The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu?

Yes. All 4055 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1183 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1183, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu take to read?

About 337 minutes of reading across 811 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu section by section

How to work through The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 33 chapters of The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu 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 Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Nayland
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Smith
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Asked
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Visitor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.