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The Riddle of the Night
The Riddle of the Night

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Riddle of the Night is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Thomas W. Hanshew • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Riddle of the Night
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Author of "Cleek, the Man of the Forty Faces," "Cleek of Scotland Yard," Etc.
HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.
SUPERINTENDENT NARKOM, of Scotland Yard.
LENNARD, his chauffeur.
HAMMOND } Detective Sergeants.
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 Riddle of the Night

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Riddle of the Night is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Author of "Cleek, the Man of the Forty Faces," "Cleek of Scotland Yard," Etc.
Line 2
HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.
Line 3
SUPERINTENDENT NARKOM, of Scotland Yard.
Line 4
LENNARD, his chauffeur.
Line 5
HAMMOND } Detective Sergeants.

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.

chauffeur noun US /ʃoʊˈfɜːr/

a man paid to drive a privately owned car

From this reading “LENNARD, his chauffeur.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
disguises noun US /dɪsˈɡaɪzɪz/

plural of “disguise” — an outward semblance that misrepresents the true nature of something

From this reading “HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Georges noun US /ˈdʒɔːrdʒəz/

plural of “george” — Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading “HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hamilton noun US /ˈhæməltən/

Irish mathematician (1806-1865)

From this reading “HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Scotland noun US /ˈskɑːtlənd/

one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; located on the northern part of the island of Great Britain; famous for bagpipes and plaids and kilts

From this reading “Author of "Cleek, the Man of the Forty Faces," "Cleek of Scotland Yard," Etc.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sergeants noun US /ˈsɑːrdʒənts/

plural of “sergeant” — any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal

From this reading “HAMMOND } Detective Sergeants.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
superintendent noun US /ˌsuːpərənˈtendənt/

a person who directs and manages an organization

From this reading “SUPERINTENDENT NARKOM, of Scotland Yard.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Vanishing noun US /ˈvænɪʃɪŋ/

a sudden or mysterious disappearance

From this reading “HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 40

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Author of "Cleek, the Man of the Forty Faces," "Cleek of Scotland Yard," Etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Barch

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

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

Pending verification
chauffeurnounUS /ʃoʊˈfɜːr/

a man paid to drive a privately owned car

From this reading LENNARD, his chauffeur.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Cleek

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

From this reading Author of "Cleek, the Man of the Forty Faces," "Cleek of Scotland Yard," Etc.

Pending verification
Cracksmannoun

a thief who breaks open safes to steal valuable contents

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DetectivenounUS /dɪˈtektɪv/

a police officer who investigates crimes

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
disguisesnounUS /dɪsˈɡaɪzɪz/

plural of “disguise” — an outward semblance that misrepresents the true nature of something

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Etc

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

From this reading Author of "Cleek, the Man of the Forty Faces," "Cleek of Scotland Yard," Etc.

Pending verification
FacesnounUS /ˈfeɪsəz/

plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Author of "Cleek, the Man of the Forty Faces," "Cleek of Scotland Yard," Etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FortyadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrti/

being ten more than thirty

From this reading Author of "Cleek, the Man of the Forty Faces," "Cleek of Scotland Yard," Etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GeorgesnounUS /ˈdʒɔːrdʒəz/

plural of “george” — Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HAMILTONnounUS /ˈhæməltən/

Irish mathematician (1806-1865)

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HAMMOND

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

From this reading HAMMOND } Detective Sergeants.

Pending verification
Headlandnoun

a natural elevation (especially a rocky one that juts out into the sea)

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LENNARD

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

From this reading LENNARD, his chauffeur.

Pending verification
Lesparre

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

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

Pending verification
MannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Author of "Cleek, the Man of the Forty Faces," "Cleek of Scotland Yard," Etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MonsieurnounUS /məˈsjɜːr/

used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NARKOM

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

From this reading SUPERINTENDENT NARKOM, of Scotland Yard.

Pending verification
nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Author of "Cleek, the Man of the Forty Faces," "Cleek of Scotland Yard," Etc.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PhilipnounUS /ˈfɪləp/

Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PolicenounUS /pəˈliːs/

the force of policemen and officers

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ScotlandnounUS /ˈskɑːtlənd/

one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; located on the northern part of the island of Great Britain; famous for bagpipes and plaids and kilts

From this reading Author of "Cleek, the Man of the Forty Faces," "Cleek of Scotland Yard," Etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SergeantsnounUS /ˈsɑːrdʒənts/

plural of “sergeant” — any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal

From this reading HAMMOND } Detective Sergeants.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SUPERINTENDENTnounUS /ˌsuːpərənˈtendənt/

a person who directs and manages an organization

From this reading SUPERINTENDENT NARKOM, of Scotland Yard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Author of "Cleek, the Man of the Forty Faces," "Cleek of Scotland Yard," Etc.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
VanishingnounUS /ˈvænɪʃɪŋ/

a sudden or mysterious disappearance

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
variousadjectiveUS /ˈveriəs/

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

From this reading HAMILTON CLEEK, The Man of the Forty Faces and once known to the Police as "The Vanishing Cracksman," now the great Detective in his various disguises as Monsieur Georges de Lesparre, Philip Barch, George Headland.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
YardnounUS /jɑːrd/

a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading Author of "Cleek, the Man of the Forty Faces," "Cleek of Scotland Yard," Etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of The Riddle of the Night by Thomas W. Hanshew holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 1 of The Riddle of the Night contain?

Chapter 1 holds 403 sentences of The Riddle of the Night, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Riddle of the Night by Thomas W. Hanshew exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 1 of The Riddle of the Night?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Riddle of the Night

Common questions about reading The Riddle of the Night by Thomas W. Hanshew on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Riddle of the Night?

Yes. All 4240 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33271 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Riddle of the Night is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33271, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Riddle of the Night take to read?

About 353 minutes of reading across 848 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Riddle of the Night section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Riddle of the Night 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 Riddle of the Night

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Riddle of the Night; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cleek
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Riddle of the Night; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Forty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Riddle of the Night; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Faces
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Riddle of the Night; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.