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The Secret of Steeple Rocks
The Secret of Steeple Rocks

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Secret of Steeple Rocks is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Secret of Steeple Rocks
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.
She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.
"If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.
Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.
"But we have passed the responsibility over to Mr. Tudor, Beth.
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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 Steeple Rocks

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Secret of Steeple Rocks is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.
/ðə net ɪz spred ðə ɡɜːrlz faʊnd ɪˈlɪzəbəθ ʌp ənd ˈɡreɪtli ˈwɜːrid/
Line 2
She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.
/ʃiː hæd ɡɔːn tuː bed ənd ˈfɑːlən əˈsliːp ʃiː sed ˈweɪ.kɪŋ æt ˈmɪdnaɪt tuː faɪnd ðæt ðeɪ hæd nɑːt kʌm ɪn/
Line 3
"If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.
Line 4
Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.
/əˈɡen ðə ˈsliːpi ɡɜːrlz toʊld ðə ˈstɔːri ˈɡæðərɪŋ ʌp ðə dɪˈteɪlz ɪn ðə ˈprɑːses ənd ˈfɪlɪŋ ɪn wʌt beθ dɪd nɑːt noʊ/
Line 5
"But we have passed the responsibility over to Mr. Tudor, Beth.
/bʌt wiː hæv pæst ðə riˌspɑːnsəˈbɪləti ˈoʊvər tuː ˈmɪstər ˈtuːdər beθ/

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.

Beth noun US /beθ/

the 2nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet

From this reading “Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.”

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 “"If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.”

filling noun US /ˈfɪlɪŋ/

any material that fills a space or container

From this reading “Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.”

net noun US /net/

a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange

From this reading “THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.”

responsibility noun US /riˌspɑːnsəˈbɪləti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading “"But we have passed the responsibility over to Mr. Tudor, Beth.”

sleepy adjective US /ˈsliːpi/

ready to fall asleep

From this reading “Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.”

Tudor noun US /ˈtuːdər/

an English dynasty descended from Henry Tudor; Tudor monarchs ruled from Henry VII to Elizabeth I (from 1485 to 1603)

From this reading “"But we have passed the responsibility over to Mr. Tudor, Beth.”

waking adjective US /ˈweɪ.kɪŋ/

Risen from sleep; conscious.

From this reading “She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.”

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.

greatly worried adverb + adjective

In this reading “THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.”

at midnight preposition + noun

In this reading “She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.”

told the story verb + article + noun counted as “tell … story”

In this reading “Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.”

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.

AgainadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.

asleepadjectiveUS /əˈsliːp/

in a state of sleep

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

BethnounUS /beθ/

the 2nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet

From this reading Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "But we have passed the responsibility over to Mr. Tudor, Beth.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

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 "If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.

detailsnounUS /dɪˈteɪlz/

true confidential information

From this reading Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.

ElizabethnounUS /ɪˈlɪzəbəθ/

daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)

From this reading THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.

fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

fillingnounUS /ˈfɪlɪŋ/

any material that fills a space or container

From this reading Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.

gatheringnounUS /ˈɡæðərɪŋ/

a group of persons together in one place

From this reading Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.

girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

greatlyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪtli/

to an extraordinary extent or degree

From this reading THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

ISauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.

midnightnounUS /ˈmɪdnaɪt/

12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading "But we have passed the responsibility over to Mr. Tudor, Beth.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading "If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.

neededadjectiveUS /ˈniːdəd/

necessary for relief or supply

From this reading "If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.

NETnounUS /net/

a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange

From this reading THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading "But we have passed the responsibility over to Mr. Tudor, Beth.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading "But we have passed the responsibility over to Mr. Tudor, Beth.

processverbUS /ˈprɑːses/

subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition

From this reading Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.

responsibilitynounUS /riˌspɑːnsəˈbɪləti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading "But we have passed the responsibility over to Mr. Tudor, Beth.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

sleepnounUS /sliːp/

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading "If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.

sleepyadjectiveUS /ˈsliːpi/

ready to fall asleep

From this reading Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.

SPREADverbUS /spred/

distribute or disperse widely

From this reading THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.

TudornounUS /ˈtuːdər/

an English dynasty descended from Henry Tudor; Tudor monarchs ruled from Henry VII to Elizabeth I (from 1485 to 1603)

From this reading "But we have passed the responsibility over to Mr. Tudor, Beth.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.

wakened

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

From this reading "If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.

wakingadjectiveUS /ˈweɪ.kɪŋ/

Risen from sleep; conscious.

From this reading She had gone to bed and fallen asleep, she said, waking at midnight to find that they had not come in.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "But we have passed the responsibility over to Mr. Tudor, Beth.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Again the sleepy girls told the story, gathering up the details in the process and filling in what Beth did not know.

worriedadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrid/

afflicted with or marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble or grief

From this reading THE NET IS SPREAD The girls found Elizabeth up and greatly worried.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading "If Dalton had not needed his sleep so much, I would have wakened him," she said.

Chapter 18 of The Secret of Steeple Rocks by Harriet Pyne Grove holds 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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 18 of The Secret of Steeple Rocks contain?

Chapter 18 holds 98 sentences of The Secret of Steeple Rocks, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Secret of Steeple Rocks by Harriet Pyne Grove exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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 18 of The Secret of Steeple Rocks?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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.