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The Secret of Steeple Rocks
The Secret of Steeple Rocks

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Secret of Steeple Rocks is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Secret of Steeple Rocks
Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.
Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.
"Oh! oh!
Didn't I _kill_ you, falling on you that way?
I ought to have known better, but you held up your hands, you know.
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 Secret of Steeple Rocks

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Secret of Steeple Rocks is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.
Line 2
Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.
Line 3
"Oh! oh!
/oʊ oʊ/
Line 4
Didn't I _kill_ you, falling on you that way?
Line 5
I ought to have known better, but you held up your hands, you know.
/aɪ ɔːt tuː hæv noʊn ˈbetər bʌt juː held ʌp jɔːr hændz juː noʊ/

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.

blackberry noun US /ˈblækberi/

large sweet black or very dark purple edible aggregate fruit of any of various bushes of the genus Rubus

From this reading “PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.”

bushes noun US /ˈbʊʃəz/

plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading “PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.”

Dalton noun US /ˈdɔːltən/

English chemist and physicist who formulated atomic theory and the law of partial pressures; gave the first description of red-green color blindness (1766-1844)

From this reading “PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.”

ives noun US /aɪvz/

United States composer noted for his innovative use of polytonality (1874-1954)

From this reading “PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.”

jumped verb US /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading “PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.”

limbs noun US /lɪmz/

plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper

From this reading “Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.”

picking noun US /ˈpɪkɪŋ/

the quantity of a crop that is harvested

From this reading “PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.”

relieved adjective US /rɪˈliːvd/

(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear

From this reading “Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.”

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.

working order adjective + noun

In this reading “Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.”

jumped from verb + particle counted as “jump from”

In this reading “PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.”

All words in this reading · 58

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.

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 Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading I ought to have known better, but you held up your hands, you know.

blackberrynounUS /ˈblækberi/

large sweet black or very dark purple edible aggregate fruit of any of various bushes of the genus Rubus

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

bushesnounUS /ˈbʊʃəz/

plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I ought to have known better, but you held up your hands, you know.

DaltonnounUS /ˈdɔːltən/

English chemist and physicist who formulated atomic theory and the law of partial pressures; gave the first description of red-green color blindness (1766-1844)

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

Didn't

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

From this reading Didn't I _kill_ you, falling on you that way?

disentangling

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

From this reading Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

fallingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlɪŋ/

decreasing in amount or degree

From this reading Didn't I _kill_ you, falling on you that way?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading I ought to have known better, but you held up your hands, you know.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I ought to have known better, but you held up your hands, you know.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading I ought to have known better, but you held up your hands, you know.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

horsenounUS /hɔːrs/

solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Didn't I _kill_ you, falling on you that way?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

IVESnounUS /aɪvz/

United States composer noted for his innovative use of polytonality (1874-1954)

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

jumpedverbUS /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

killverbUS /kɪl/

cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

From this reading Didn't I _kill_ you, falling on you that way?

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading I ought to have known better, but you held up your hands, you know.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading I ought to have known better, but you held up your hands, you know.

Leslie

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

From this reading Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

limbsnounUS /lɪmz/

plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper

From this reading Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading "Oh! oh!

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Didn't I _kill_ you, falling on you that way?

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading I ought to have known better, but you held up your hands, you know.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

PEGGY

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

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

pickingnounUS /ˈpɪkɪŋ/

the quantity of a crop that is harvested

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

relievedadjectiveUS /rɪˈliːvd/

(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear

From this reading Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

runningadjectiveUS /ˈrʌnɪŋ/

(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

scenenounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Didn't I _kill_ you, falling on you that way?

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading PEGGY IVES The running girls reached the scene just as Dalton and the girl who had jumped from the horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

workingadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/

actively engaged in paid work

From this reading Leslie was relieved to see that Dalton was disentangling himself with all his limbs in working order.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Didn't I _kill_ you, falling on you that way?

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I ought to have known better, but you held up your hands, you know.

Chapter 3 of The Secret of Steeple Rocks by Harriet Pyne Grove holds 160 sentences, grouped into 32 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 3 of The Secret of Steeple Rocks contain?

Chapter 3 holds 160 sentences of The Secret of Steeple Rocks, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Secret of Steeple Rocks by Harriet Pyne Grove exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 160 sentences, grouped into 32 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 3 of The Secret of Steeple Rocks?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Steeple Rocks

Common questions about reading The Secret of Steeple Rocks by Harriet Pyne Grove on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Secret of Steeple Rocks?

Yes. All 3593 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45530 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Secret of Steeple Rocks is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #45530, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Secret of Steeple Rocks take to read?

About 299 minutes of reading across 719 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Secret of Steeple Rocks section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Secret of Steeple Rocks 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 Steeple Rocks

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

United
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Steeple Rocks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
States
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Steeple Rocks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
America
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Steeple Rocks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Satisfied
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Steeple Rocks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.