Chapter 20 of The Sacred Herb is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The Sacred Herb is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MR. ROVER EXPLAINS. "It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word. "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers. But I don't believe that he killed Agstone."
Chapter 20 of The Sacred Herb is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/47 · 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 lake in southeastern Germany on the northern side of the Swiss Alps; forms part of the Rhine River
From this reading “"It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word.”
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading “"Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.”
conveyance consisting of a wheeled support on which a camera can be mounted
From this reading “"Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.”
third-person singular of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading “ROVER EXPLAINS.”
the point or degree to which something extends
From this reading “"Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.”
plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence
From this reading “"Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.”
someone who leads a wandering unsettled life
From this reading “ROVER EXPLAINS.”
wanting in physical strength
From this reading “"Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “"Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.”
In this reading “"It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word.”
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 "It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I don't believe that he killed Agstone."
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading But I don't believe that he killed Agstone."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But I don't believe that he killed Agstone."
a lake in southeastern Germany on the northern side of the Swiss Alps; forms part of the Rhine River
From this reading "It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word.
conveyance consisting of a wheeled support on which a camera can be mounted
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I don't believe that he killed Agstone."
third-person singular of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading ROVER EXPLAINS.
the point or degree to which something extends
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But I don't believe that he killed Agstone."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading But I don't believe that he killed Agstone."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word.
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading But I don't believe that he killed Agstone."
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading "It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
a form of address for a man
From this reading MR.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word.
recurring again and again
From this reading "It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word.
someone who leads a wandering unsettled life
From this reading ROVER EXPLAINS.
express in words
From this reading "It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading "It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
wanting in physical strength
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
which person or people
From this reading "Dolly is a little cruel fool, who tyrannises to the full extent of his weak powers.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading "It's a lie," repeated Constance, seeing that Prelice did not say a word.
Chapter 20 of The Sacred Herb by Fergus Hume holds 237 sentences, grouped into 48 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 20 holds 237 sentences of The Sacred Herb, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The Sacred Herb by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 237 sentences, grouped into 48 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 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 48 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 20 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 Sacred Herb by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5717 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55642 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #55642, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 476 minutes of reading across 1144 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Sacred Herb section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of The Sacred Herb 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 Sacred Herb, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
