The Secret Play

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Secret Play is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ralph Henry Barbour • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

“Carter,” said Sears in recognition.

“Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

I mean about football.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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Chapter XVII Reading 1/32

The Secret Play

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of The Secret Play is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1

THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

Line 2

Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

Line 3

“Carter,” said Sears in recognition.

/ˈkɑːrtər sed sɪrz ɪn ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃən/

Line 4

“Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

Line 5

I mean about football.

/aɪ miːn əˈbaʊt ˈfʊtbɔːl/

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.

Carter noun US /ˈkɑːrtər/

Englishman and Egyptologist who in 1922 discovered and excavated the tomb of Tutankhamen (1873-1939)

From this reading “Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.”

Chairman noun US /ˈtʃermən/

the officer who presides at the meetings of an organization

From this reading ““Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.”

chuckles noun US /ˈtʃʌkəlz/

plural of “chuckle” — a soft partly suppressed laugh

From this reading “THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.”

football noun US /ˈfʊtbɔːl/

any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal

From this reading “I mean about football.”

indignation noun US /ˌɪndɪɡˈneɪʃən/

a feeling of righteous anger

From this reading “THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.”

Junior noun US /ˈdʒuːnjər/

term of address for a disrespectful and annoying male

From this reading “Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.”

recognition noun US /ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃən/

the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged

From this reading ““Carter,” said Sears in recognition.”

Sears verb US /sɪrz/

third-person singular of “sear” — make very hot and dry

From this reading ““Carter,” said Sears in recognition.”

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 minute preposition + article + noun counted as “for … minute”

In this reading “THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.”

from the rear preposition + article + noun counted as “from … rear”

In this reading “THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.”

came from verb + particle counted as “come from”

In this reading “THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.”

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I mean about football.

acceptedadjectiveUS /ækˈseptɪd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

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 “Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

amusementnounUS /əˈmjuːzmənt/

a feeling of delight at being entertained

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading “Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

aren't

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

From this reading “Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

aroseverbUS /ərˈoʊz/

inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape

From this reading Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading “Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

CarternounUS /ˈkɑːrtər/

Englishman and Egyptologist who in 1922 discovered and excavated the tomb of Tutankhamen (1873-1939)

From this reading Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

ChairmannounUS /ˈtʃermən/

the officer who presides at the meetings of an organization

From this reading “Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

chucklesnounUS /ˈtʃʌkəlz/

plural of “chuckle” — a soft partly suppressed laugh

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

fellowsnounUS /ˈfeloʊz/

plural of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

FinallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

footballnounUS /ˈfʊtbɔːl/

any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal

From this reading I mean about football.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

foregathered

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

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

GoverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading “Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

hallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I mean about football.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “Carter,” said Sears in recognition.

INDIGNATIONnounUS /ˌɪndɪɡˈneɪʃən/

a feeling of righteous anger

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

invitationnounUS /ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/

a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

irrepressibles

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

From this reading Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

JuniornounUS /ˈdʒuːnjər/

term of address for a disrespectful and annoying male

From this reading Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

lotnounUS /lɑːt/

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

From this reading “Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading I mean about football.

MEETINGnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

minutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading “Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

Ned

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

From this reading Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

rearnounUS /rɪr/

the back of a military formation or procession

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

recognitionnounUS /ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃən/

the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged

From this reading “Carter,” said Sears in recognition.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Carter,” said Sears in recognition.

satisfiedadjectiveUS /ˈsætəsfaɪd/

filled with satisfaction

From this reading “Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

SearsverbUS /sɪrz/

third-person singular of “sear” — make very hot and dry

From this reading “Carter,” said Sears in recognition.

serious-visaged

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

From this reading Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading “Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Finally, “Go to it, Carter!” called one of the irrepressibles, and Ned Carter, a serious-visaged Junior arose slowly to his feet.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

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

From this reading “Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading “Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “Mr. Chairman and fellows,” began Carter, “a lot of us fellows aren’t at all satisfied with the way things are going.

youngeradjectiveUS /ˈjʌŋɡər/

used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father

From this reading THE INDIGNATION MEETING For a minute no one accepted the invitation, and chuckles of amusement came from the rear of the hall where the younger fellows were foregathered.

Chapter 17 of The Secret Play by Ralph Henry Barbour holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 17 of The Secret Play contain?

Chapter 17 holds 161 sentences of The Secret Play, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Secret Play by Ralph Henry Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 17 of The Secret Play?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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.

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Common questions about reading The Secret Play by Ralph Henry Barbour on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Secret Play?

Yes. All 4550 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #65237 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Secret Play is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #65237, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Secret Play take to read?

About 379 minutes of reading across 910 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Secret Play

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

Coachless: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret Play; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wonders: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret Play; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Runabout: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret Play; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chugged: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret Play; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XVII

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