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The Secret Passage
The Secret Passage

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of The Secret Passage is here in full — 274 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Secret Passage
Context Illustration Reading 1/54 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.
Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.
He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.
They had to do with Maraquito.
Since her flight from the Soho house nothing had been heard of her, although every inquiry had been made.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Secret Passage

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of The Secret Passage is here in full — 274 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/54 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.
Line 2
Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.
Line 3
He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.
/hiː wɑːz kənˈfaɪnd tuː hɪz bed fɔːr sʌm deɪz baɪ hɪz waʊnd ənd ˈmiːnwaɪl ɪˈvents trænˈspaɪərd ɪn wɪtʃ hiː wʊd hæv bɪn kənˈsɪdərəbli ˈɪntrəstɪd hæd hiː hɜːrd ʌv ðem/
Line 4
They had to do with Maraquito.
Line 5
Since her flight from the Soho house nothing had been heard of her, although every inquiry had been made.
/sɪns hɜːr flaɪt frʌm ðə ˈsoʊhoʊ haʊs ˈnʌθɪŋ hæd bɪn hɜːrd ʌv hɜːr ˌɔːlˈðoʊ ˈevəri ˌɪnˈkwaɪriː hæd bɪn meɪd/

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.

capture verb US /ˈkæptʃər/

succeed in representing or expressing something intangible

From this reading “REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.”

congratulation noun US /kənˌɡrætʃəˈleɪʃən/

the act of acknowledging that someone has an occasion for celebration

From this reading “Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.”

considerably adverb US /kənˈsɪdərəbli/

to a great extent or degree

From this reading “Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.”

descriptions noun US /dɪˈskrɪpʃənz/

plural of “description” — a statement that represents something in words

From this reading “REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.”

feat noun US /fiːt/

a notable achievement

From this reading “Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.”

raid verb US /reɪd/

search without warning, make a sudden surprise attack on

From this reading “REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.”

Soho noun US /ˈsoʊhoʊ/

a district in southwestern Manhattan noted for its shops and restaurants and galleries and artist's lofts

From this reading “Since her flight from the Soho house nothing had been heard of her, although every inquiry had been made.”

transpired verb US /trænˈspaɪərd/

past form of “transpire” — pass through the tissue or substance or its pores or interstices, as of gas

From this reading “He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.”

All words in this reading · 62

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.

althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Since her flight from the Soho house nothing had been heard of her, although every inquiry had been made.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

authoritiesnounUS /əˈθɔːrətiz/

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.

captureverbUS /ˈkæptʃər/

succeed in representing or expressing something intangible

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

causedverbUS /kɑːzd/

past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

coiners

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

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

confinedadjectiveUS /kənˈfaɪnd/

not invading healthy tissue

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

congratulationnounUS /kənˌɡrætʃəˈleɪʃən/

the act of acknowledging that someone has an occasion for celebration

From this reading Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.

considerablyadverbUS /kənˈsɪdərəbli/

to a great extent or degree

From this reading Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

descriptionsnounUS /dɪˈskrɪpʃənz/

plural of “description” — a statement that represents something in words

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading They had to do with Maraquito.

eventsnounUS /ɪˈvents/

plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Since her flight from the Soho house nothing had been heard of her, although every inquiry had been made.

featnounUS /fiːt/

a notable achievement

From this reading Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.

filledadjectiveUS /fɪld/

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

flightnounUS /flaɪt/

a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading Since her flight from the Soho house nothing had been heard of her, although every inquiry had been made.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Since her flight from the Soho house nothing had been heard of her, although every inquiry had been made.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Since her flight from the Soho house nothing had been heard of her, although every inquiry had been made.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Since her flight from the Soho house nothing had been heard of her, although every inquiry had been made.

immenseadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈmens/

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

improvedadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpruːvd/

made more desirable or valuable or profitable; especially made ready for use or marketing

From this reading Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.

inquirynounUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪriː/

a search for knowledge

From this reading Since her flight from the Soho house nothing had been heard of her, although every inquiry had been made.

interestedadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəstɪd/

having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

Jennings

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

From this reading Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Since her flight from the Soho house nothing had been heard of her, although every inquiry had been made.

Maraquito

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

From this reading They had to do with Maraquito.

meanwhileadverbUS /ˈmiːnwaɪl/

at the same time but in another place

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Since her flight from the Soho house nothing had been heard of her, although every inquiry had been made.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

papersnounUS /ˈpeɪpərz/

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading Jennings came in for much congratulation, and his feat considerably improved his position with the authorities.

raidverbUS /reɪd/

search without warning, make a sudden surprise attack on

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

REVENGEnounUS /riˈvendʒ/

action taken in return for an injury or offense

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

sensationnounUS /senˈseɪʃən/

an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

SinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Since her flight from the Soho house nothing had been heard of her, although every inquiry had been made.

SohonounUS /ˈsoʊhoʊ/

a district in southwestern Manhattan noted for its shops and restaurants and galleries and artist's lofts

From this reading Since her flight from the Soho house nothing had been heard of her, although every inquiry had been made.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They had to do with Maraquito.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

transpiredverbUS /trænˈspaɪərd/

past form of “transpire” — pass through the tissue or substance or its pores or interstices, as of gas

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading REVENGE The capture of the coiners caused an immense sensation, and the papers were filled with descriptions of the raid.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

woundnounUS /waʊnd/

an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

From this reading He was confined to his bed for some days by his wound and, meanwhile, events transpired in which he would have been considerably interested had he heard of them.

Chapter 23 of The Secret Passage by Fergus Hume holds 274 sentences, grouped into 55 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 23 of The Secret Passage contain?

Chapter 23 holds 274 sentences of The Secret Passage, unabridged, divided into 55 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The Secret Passage by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 274 sentences, grouped into 55 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 23 of The Secret Passage?

Work through the 55 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 55 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 Passage

Common questions about reading The Secret Passage by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Secret Passage?

Yes. All 6904 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4531 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Secret Passage is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4531, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Secret Passage take to read?

About 575 minutes of reading across 1381 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Secret Passage section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Secret Passage 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 Passage

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

Kitchen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret Passage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rather
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret Passage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spacious
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret Passage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clean
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret Passage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.