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The Secret Passage
The Secret Passage

Chapter XXIV · Chapter 24

Chapter 24 of The Secret Passage is here in full — 319 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Secret Passage
Context Illustration Reading 1/63 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.
Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.
"Oh, Cuthbert--Cuthbert!" she cried, her head on his shoulder, "that woman has been here.
She tried to throw vitriol at me, and the bottle broke on Lord Caranby's face.
He has burnt his head also; he is dying."
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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 Passage

Chapter XXIV · Chapter 24

Chapter 24 of The Secret Passage is here in full — 319 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/63 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.
Line 2
Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.
Line 3
"Oh, Cuthbert--Cuthbert!" she cried, her head on his shoulder, "that woman has been here.
Line 4
She tried to throw vitriol at me, and the bottle broke on Lord Caranby's face.
Line 5
He has burnt his head also; he is dying."
/hiː hæz bɜːrnt hɪz hed ˈɔːlsoʊ hiː ɪz ˈdaɪɪŋ/

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.

bottle noun US /ˈbɑːtəl/

a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped

From this reading “She tried to throw vitriol at me, and the bottle broke on Lord Caranby's face.”

burnt adjective US /bɜːrnt/

ruined by overcooking

From this reading “He has burnt his head also; he is dying."”

confusion noun US /kənˈfjuːʒən/

disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably

From this reading “NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.”

flew verb US /fluː/

inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading “Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.”

nemesis noun US /ˈneməsɪs/

(Greek mythology) the goddess of divine retribution and vengeance

From this reading “NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.”

sobbing noun US /ˈsɑːbɪŋ/

convulsive gasp made while weeping

From this reading “Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.”

vitriol noun US /ˈvɪtriəl/

(H2SO4) a highly corrosive acid made from sulfur dioxide; widely used in the chemical industry

From this reading “She tried to throw vitriol at me, and the bottle broke on Lord Caranby's face.”

wickedness noun US /ˈwɪkədnəs/

morally objectionable behavior

From this reading “NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading He has burnt his head also; he is dying."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.

arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading "Oh, Cuthbert--Cuthbert!" she cried, her head on his shoulder, "that woman has been here.

bottlenounUS /ˈbɑːtəl/

a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped

From this reading She tried to throw vitriol at me, and the bottle broke on Lord Caranby's face.

brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading She tried to throw vitriol at me, and the bottle broke on Lord Caranby's face.

burntadjectiveUS /bɜːrnt/

ruined by overcooking

From this reading He has burnt his head also; he is dying."

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.

Caranby's

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

From this reading She tried to throw vitriol at me, and the bottle broke on Lord Caranby's face.

causedverbUS /kɑːzd/

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

From this reading NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.

confusionnounUS /kənˈfjuːʒən/

disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably

From this reading NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading "Oh, Cuthbert--Cuthbert!" she cried, her head on his shoulder, "that woman has been here.

Cuthbert

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

From this reading NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.

dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/

in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be

From this reading He has burnt his head also; he is dying."

facenounUS /feɪs/

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

From this reading She tried to throw vitriol at me, and the bottle broke on Lord Caranby's face.

flewverbUS /fluː/

inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.

flungverbUS /flʌŋ/

inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness

From this reading Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading "Oh, Cuthbert--Cuthbert!" she cried, her head on his shoulder, "that woman has been here.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He has burnt his head also; he is dying."

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading "Oh, Cuthbert--Cuthbert!" she cried, her head on his shoulder, "that woman has been here.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading "Oh, Cuthbert--Cuthbert!" she cried, her head on his shoulder, "that woman has been here.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "Oh, Cuthbert--Cuthbert!" she cried, her head on his shoulder, "that woman has been here.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading He has burnt his head also; he is dying."

Juliet

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

From this reading Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading She tried to throw vitriol at me, and the bottle broke on Lord Caranby's face.

Maraquito's

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

From this reading NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading She tried to throw vitriol at me, and the bottle broke on Lord Caranby's face.

midstnounUS /mɪdst/

the location of something surrounded by other things

From this reading NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.

NEMESISnounUS /ˈneməsɪs/

(Greek mythology) the goddess of divine retribution and vengeance

From this reading NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

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

From this reading "Oh, Cuthbert--Cuthbert!" she cried, her head on his shoulder, "that woman has been here.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "Oh, Cuthbert--Cuthbert!" she cried, her head on his shoulder, "that woman has been here.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "Oh, Cuthbert--Cuthbert!" she cried, her head on his shoulder, "that woman has been here.

shoulderverbUS /ˈʃoʊldər/

lift onto one's shoulders

From this reading "Oh, Cuthbert--Cuthbert!" she cried, her head on his shoulder, "that woman has been here.

sobbingnounUS /ˈsɑːbɪŋ/

convulsive gasp made while weeping

From this reading Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Oh, Cuthbert--Cuthbert!" she cried, her head on his shoulder, "that woman has been here.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.

throwverbUS /θroʊ/

propel through the air

From this reading She tried to throw vitriol at me, and the bottle broke on Lord Caranby's face.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Juliet flew to him at once and flung herself sobbing into his arms.

triedadjectiveUS /traɪd/

tested and proved useful or correct

From this reading She tried to throw vitriol at me, and the bottle broke on Lord Caranby's face.

vitriolnounUS /ˈvɪtriəl/

(H2SO4) a highly corrosive acid made from sulfur dioxide; widely used in the chemical industry

From this reading She tried to throw vitriol at me, and the bottle broke on Lord Caranby's face.

wickednessnounUS /ˈwɪkədnəs/

morally objectionable behavior

From this reading NEMESIS In the midst of the confusion caused by Maraquito's wickedness Cuthbert arrived.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading "Oh, Cuthbert--Cuthbert!" she cried, her head on his shoulder, "that woman has been here.

Chapter 24 of The Secret Passage by Fergus Hume holds 319 sentences, grouped into 64 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 24 of The Secret Passage contain?

Chapter 24 holds 319 sentences of The Secret Passage, unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 24 of The Secret Passage by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 319 sentences, grouped into 64 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 24 of The Secret Passage?

Work through the 64 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 64 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 24 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 24 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, unabridged. 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.