Chapter 9 of The Secret Tomb is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Secret Tomb is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FACE TO FACE "If they seize me," she thought. "If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done. Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!" And why should it be otherwise? Master of the medal and of Dorothy, the ruffian had only to fly.
Chapter 9 of The Secret Tomb is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a rapid active commotion
From this reading “"If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.”
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading “"If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.”
take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom
From this reading “"If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.”
the habitation of wild animals
From this reading “Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"”
an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event
From this reading “Master of the medal and of Dorothy, the ruffian had only to fly.”
delivered from danger
From this reading “Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"”
take hold of; grab
From this reading “FACE TO FACE "If they seize me," she thought.”
under the level of the ground
From this reading “Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"”
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.
In this reading “"If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.”
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.
a rapid active commotion
From this reading "If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading "If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Master of the medal and of Dorothy, the ruffian had only to fly.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading FACE TO FACE "If they seize me," she thought.
travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading Master of the medal and of Dorothy, the ruffian had only to fly.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Master of the medal and of Dorothy, the ruffian had only to fly.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading FACE TO FACE "If they seize me," she thought.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading "If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And why should it be otherwise?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.
take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom
From this reading "If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
the habitation of wild animals
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading Master of the medal and of Dorothy, the ruffian had only to fly.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading FACE TO FACE "If they seize me," she thought.
an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event
From this reading Master of the medal and of Dorothy, the ruffian had only to fly.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Master of the medal and of Dorothy, the ruffian had only to fly.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
and nothing more
From this reading Master of the medal and of Dorothy, the ruffian had only to fly.
in other respects or ways
From this reading And why should it be otherwise?
delivered from danger
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
a cruel and brutal fellow
From this reading Master of the medal and of Dorothy, the ruffian had only to fly.
take hold of; grab
From this reading FACE TO FACE "If they seize me," she thought.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading FACE TO FACE "If they seize me," she thought.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading And why should it be otherwise?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Master of the medal and of Dorothy, the ruffian had only to fly.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
in or at that place or location
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading FACE TO FACE "If they seize me," she thought.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading FACE TO FACE "If they seize me," she thought.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading FACE TO FACE "If they seize me," she thought.
under the level of the ground
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
in or at the place that
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading And why should it be otherwise?
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading "If it's d'Estreicher's intention to kidnap me without more ado, there's nothing to be done.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Before I could be rescued, they would carry me off to their underground lair, and from there I don't know where!"
Chapter 9 of The Secret Tomb by Maurice Leblanc holds 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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.
Chapter 9 holds 427 sentences of The Secret Tomb, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Secret Tomb by Maurice Leblanc exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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.
Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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.
Common questions about reading The Secret Tomb by Maurice Leblanc on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6010 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59072 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #59072, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 500 minutes of reading across 1202 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Secret Tomb section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of The Secret Tomb to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Secret Tomb, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
