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The Secret of Chimneys
The Secret of Chimneys

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Secret of Chimneys is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Secret of Chimneys
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Anthony Cade Signs on “Gentleman Joe!”
“Why, if it isn’t old Jimmy McGrath.”
Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.
Evidently their Mr. Cade had met an old friend.
They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.
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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 Secret of Chimneys

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Secret of Chimneys is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Anthony Cade Signs on “Gentleman Joe!”
Line 2
“Why, if it isn’t old Jimmy McGrath.”
Line 3
Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.
Line 4
Evidently their Mr. Cade had met an old friend.
Line 5
They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

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.

cajoled verb US /kəˈdʒoʊld/

past form of “cajole” — influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

From this reading “They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.”

Castle's noun US /ˈkæsəlz/

possessive form of “castle” — a large and stately mansion

disputes noun US /dɪsˈpjuːts/

plural of “dispute” — a disagreement or argument about something important

From this reading “They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.”

females noun US /ˈfiːmeɪlz/

plural of “female” — an animal that produces gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes

From this reading “Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.”

males noun US /meɪlz/

plural of “male” — an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes

From this reading “Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.”

perspiring verb US /pərˈspaɪrɪŋ/

-ing form of “perspire” — excrete perspiration through the pores in the skin

From this reading “Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.”

Select adjective US /səˈlekt/

of superior grade

From this reading “Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.”

Tour noun US /tʊr/

a journey or route all the way around a particular place or area

From this reading “Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

considerable interest adjective + noun

In this reading “Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.”

old friend adjective + noun

In this reading “Evidently their Mr. Cade had met an old friend.”

good temper adjective + noun

a cheerful and agreeable mood

In this reading “They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

admiredadjectiveUS /ədˈmaɪərd/

regarded with admiration

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Evidently their Mr. Cade had met an old friend.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

AnthonynounUS /ˈænθəni/

Roman general under Julius Caesar in the Gallic wars; repudiated his wife for the Egyptian queen Cleopatra; they were defeated by Octavian at Actium (83-30 BC)

From this reading Anthony Cade Signs on “Gentleman Joe!”

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

Cade

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

From this reading Anthony Cade Signs on “Gentleman Joe!”

cajoledverbUS /kəˈdʒoʊld/

past form of “cajole” — influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

Castle'snounUS /ˈkæsəlz/

possessive form of “castle” — a large and stately mansion

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

considerableadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪdərəbəl/

large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

depressed-looking

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

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

disputesnounUS /dɪsˈpjuːts/

plural of “dispute” — a disagreement or argument about something important

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

EvidentlyadverbUS /ˈevədəntli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading Evidently their Mr. Cade had met an old friend.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

femalesnounUS /ˈfiːmeɪlz/

plural of “female” — an animal that produces gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Evidently their Mr. Cade had met an old friend.

GentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading Anthony Cade Signs on “Gentleman Joe!”

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Evidently their Mr. Cade had met an old friend.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “Why, if it isn’t old Jimmy McGrath.”

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

isn't

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

From this reading “Why, if it isn’t old Jimmy McGrath.”

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “Why, if it isn’t old Jimmy McGrath.”

JimmyverbUS /ˈdʒɪmi/

to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open

From this reading “Why, if it isn’t old Jimmy McGrath.”

Joe

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

From this reading Anthony Cade Signs on “Gentleman Joe!”

leanverbUS /liːn/

to incline or bend from a vertical position

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

light-heartedadjective

carefree and happy and lighthearted

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

malesnounUS /meɪlz/

plural of “male” — an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

McGrath

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

From this reading “Why, if it isn’t old Jimmy McGrath.”

metverbUS /met/

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading Evidently their Mr. Cade had met an old friend.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Evidently their Mr. Cade had met an old friend.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading “Why, if it isn’t old Jimmy McGrath.”

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Anthony Cade Signs on “Gentleman Joe!”

perspiringverbUS /pərˈspaɪrɪŋ/

-ing form of “perspire” — excrete perspiration through the pores in the skin

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

representedadjectiveUS /ˌreprɪˈzentɪd/

represented accurately or precisely

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

SelectadjectiveUS /səˈlekt/

of superior grade

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

settledadjectiveUS /ˈsetəld/

established or decided beyond dispute or doubt

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

sevennounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

SignsnounUS /saɪnz/

plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading Anthony Cade Signs on “Gentleman Joe!”

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

sun-tanned

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

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

tempernounUS /ˈtempər/

a sudden outburst of anger

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Evidently their Mr. Cade had met an old friend.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

TournounUS /tʊr/

a journey or route all the way around a particular place or area

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all into good temper.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading “Why, if it isn’t old Jimmy McGrath.”

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest.

Chapter 1 of The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie holds 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Secret of Chimneys contain?

Chapter 1 holds 412 sentences of The Secret of Chimneys, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Secret of Chimneys?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 Secret of Chimneys

Common questions about reading The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Secret of Chimneys?

Yes. All 7349 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #65238 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Secret of Chimneys is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #65238, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Secret of Chimneys take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1470 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Secret of Chimneys section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of The Secret of Chimneys 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 Secret of Chimneys

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

Anthony
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Chimneys; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Signs
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Chimneys; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gentleman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Chimneys; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jimmy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Chimneys; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.