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The Sign of Silence
The Sign of Silence

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Sign of Silence is here in full — 236 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William Le Queux • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Sign of Silence
Context Illustration Reading 1/47 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.
"Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as 'The Master of Mystery.'
He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._
"Mr. William Le Queux is 'The Master of Mystery.'
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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 Sign of Silence

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Sign of Silence is here in full — 236 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/47 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.
Line 2
"Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as 'The Master of Mystery.'
Line 3
Line 4
He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._
Line 5
"Mr. William Le Queux is 'The Master of Mystery.'

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.

Entice verb US /ɪnˈtaɪs/

provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion

From this reading “_"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Gazette noun US /ɡəˈzet/

a newspaper or official journal

From this reading “He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mall noun US /mɔːl/

a public area set aside as a pedestrian walk

From this reading “He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Pall verb US /pɑːl/

become less interesting or attractive

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
retains verb US /rɪˈteɪnz/

third-person singular of “retain” — hold back within

From this reading “"Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as 'The Master of Mystery.'”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Secrets noun US /ˈsiːkrəts/

plural of “secret” — something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)

From this reading “_"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sinners noun US /ˈsɪnərz/

plural of “sinner” — a person who sins (without repenting)

From this reading “_"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
world's noun US /wɜːrldz/

possessive form of “world” — everything that exists anywhere

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.

first page adjective + noun

In this reading “He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._”

1,485 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 57

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 He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
allowverbUS /əˈlaʊ/

make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as 'The Master of Mystery.'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
attentionnounUS /əˈtenʃən/

the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DailyadverbUS /ˈdeɪli/

every day; without missing a day

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EnticeverbUS /ɪnˈtaɪs/

provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion

From this reading _"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
etc

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

From this reading _"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.

Pending verification
EUROPEnounUS /ˈjʊrəp/

the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles

From this reading _"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
GazettenounUS /ɡəˈzet/

a newspaper or official journal

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as 'The Master of Mystery.'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
holdingnounUS /ˈhoʊldɪŋ/

the act of retaining something

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading _"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
incidentnounUS /ˈɪnsədənt/

a single distinct event

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
journeyverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrni/

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LenounUS /lə/

a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)

From this reading "Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as 'The Master of Mystery.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MailnounUS /meɪl/

the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MallnounUS /mɔːl/

a public area set aside as a pedestrian walk

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MasternounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading "Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as 'The Master of Mystery.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading "Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as 'The Master of Mystery.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MysterynounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading "Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as 'The Master of Mystery.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OPINIONSnounUS /əˈpɪnjənz/

plural of “opinion” — a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty

From this reading _"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pagenounUS /peɪdʒ/

one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PallverbUS /pɑːl/

become less interesting or attractive

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pausenounUS /pɔːz/

a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading "Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as 'The Master of Mystery.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Queux

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

From this reading "Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as 'The Master of Mystery.'

Pending verification
railwaynounUS /ˈreɪlweɪ/

line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
readersnounUS /ˈriːdərz/

plural of “reader” — a person who enjoys reading

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
retainsverbUS /rɪˈteɪnz/

third-person singular of “retain” — hold back within

From this reading "Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as 'The Master of Mystery.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RoomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading _"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SecretsnounUS /ˈsiːkrəts/

plural of “secret” — something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)

From this reading _"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SinnersnounUS /ˈsɪnərz/

plural of “sinner” — a person who sins (without repenting)

From this reading _"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
skilfuladjective

having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

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 _"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TheepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading _"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whirls

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

From this reading He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."--_Pall Mall Gazette._ "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."--_Daily Mail._

Pending verification
William

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

From this reading "Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as 'The Master of Mystery.'

Pending verification
WORLD'SnounUS /wɜːrldz/

possessive form of “world” — everything that exists anywhere

From this reading _"If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc._ _WORLD'S OPINIONS._ EUROPE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of The Sign of Silence by William Le Queux holds 236 sentences, grouped into 48 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 1 of The Sign of Silence contain?

Chapter 1 holds 236 sentences of The Sign of Silence, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Sign of Silence by William Le Queux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 236 sentences, grouped into 48 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 1 of The Sign of Silence?

Work through the 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 48 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Sign of Silence

Common questions about reading The Sign of Silence by William Le Queux on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Sign of Silence?

Yes. All 5036 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30477 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Sign of Silence is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #30477, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Sign of Silence take to read?

About 419 minutes of reading across 1008 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Sign of Silence section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 32 chapters of The Sign of Silence 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 Sign of Silence

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Sign of Silence, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Sinners
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sign of Silence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Entice
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sign of Silence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Secrets
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sign of Silence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
World's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sign of Silence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.