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The Secret of the League
The Secret of the League

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of The Secret of the League is here in full — 308 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ernest Bramah • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Secret of the League
Context Illustration Reading 1/61 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.
He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.
"A week to-day, Salt," he remarked, looking up.
"A week to-day," repeated Salt.
"That gives us seven more days for details."
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 the League

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of The Secret of the League is here in full — 308 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/61 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.
Line 2
He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.
Line 3
"A week to-day, Salt," he remarked, looking up.
Line 4
"A week to-day," repeated Salt.
Line 5
"That gives us seven more days for details."
/ðæt ɡɪvz ʌs ˈsevən mɔːr deɪz fɔːr dɪˈteɪlz/

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.

arrested verb US /ərˈestɪd/

past form of “arrest” — take into custody

From this reading “THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
calendar noun US /ˈkæləndər/

a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year

From this reading “He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crossing noun US /ˈkrɔːsɪŋ/

traveling across

From this reading “He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
date noun US /deɪt/

the specified day of the month

From this reading “He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
detail noun US /dɪˈteɪl/

an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole

From this reading “He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
details noun US /dɪˈteɪlz/

true confidential information

From this reading “"That gives us seven more days for details."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Salt noun US /sɔːlt/

a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)

From this reading “"A week to-day, Salt," he remarked, looking up.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tours noun US /tʊrz/

an industrial city in western France on the Loire River

From this reading “THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

for a moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

In this reading “THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.”

130,343 times in 225,867 chapters
last detail adjective + noun

In this reading “He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.”

229 times in 225,867 chapters
act of verb + particle

In this reading “He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.”

28,018 times in 225,867 chapters
for the night preposition + article + noun counted as “for … night”

In this reading “He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.”

17,377 times in 225,867 chapters

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
actverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
arrestedverbUS /ərˈestɪd/

past form of “arrest” — take into custody

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
calendarnounUS /ˈkæləndər/

a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crossingnounUS /ˈkrɔːsɪŋ/

traveling across

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
datenounUS /deɪt/

the specified day of the month

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading "That gives us seven more days for details."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desknounUS /desk/

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
detailnounUS /dɪˈteɪl/

an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
detailsnounUS /dɪˈteɪlz/

true confidential information

From this reading "That gives us seven more days for details."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
givesnounUS /ɡɪvz/

plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length

From this reading "That gives us seven more days for details."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Hampden

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

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

Pending verification
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hungverbUS /hʌŋ/

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
insideadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading "A week to-day, Salt," he remarked, looking up.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MARTINnounUS /ˈmɑːrtən/

French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading "That gives us seven more days for details."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
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 THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pausedverbUS /pɔːzd/

past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pennounUS /pen/

a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pulledverbUS /pʊld/

past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
remarkedverbUS /rɪˈmɑːrkt/

past form of “remark” — make mention of

From this reading "A week to-day, Salt," he remarked, looking up.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
repeatedadjectiveUS /rɪˈpiːtɪd/

recurring again and again

From this reading "A week to-day," repeated Salt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roll-top

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

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

Pending verification
SaltnounUS /sɔːlt/

a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)

From this reading "A week to-day, Salt," he remarked, looking up.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sevennounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading "That gives us seven more days for details."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ST

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

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

Pending verification
suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
to-day

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

From this reading "A week to-day, Salt," he remarked, looking up.

Pending verification
TOURSnounUS /tʊrz/

an industrial city in western France on the Loire River

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading "A week to-day, Salt," he remarked, looking up.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "That gives us seven more days for details."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading "A week to-day, Salt," he remarked, looking up.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading He had been in the act of crossing off another day on the calendar that hung inside his desk, the last detail before he pulled the roll-top down for the night, when the date had caught his eye with a sudden meaning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE ORDER OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS Sir John Hampden paused for a moment with arrested pen.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 10 of The Secret of the League by Ernest Bramah holds 308 sentences, grouped into 62 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 10 of The Secret of the League contain?

Chapter 10 holds 308 sentences of The Secret of the League, unabridged, divided into 62 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of The Secret of the League by Ernest Bramah exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 308 sentences, grouped into 62 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 10 of The Secret of the League?

Work through the 62 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 62 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 the League

Common questions about reading The Secret of the League by Ernest Bramah on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Secret of the League?

Yes. All 4829 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34522 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Secret of the League is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #34522, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Secret of the League take to read?

About 402 minutes of reading across 966 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Secret of the League section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 the League

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

Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of the League; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Social
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of the League; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Suppose
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of the League; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Old-fashioned
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of the League; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.