Chapter 10 of The Sign of Silence is here in full — 221 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of The Sign of Silence is here in full — 221 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CHERCHEZ LA FEMME. I confess that her attitude took me aback. I was certainly unprepared for such a reception. "I believed, madame, that you were in search of me?" I said, with polite apology.
Chapter 10 of The Sign of Silence is here in full — 221 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/44 · 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.
having the wind against the forward side of the sails
From this reading “I confess that her attitude took me aback.”
an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone
From this reading “I said, with polite apology.”
a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways
From this reading “I confess that her attitude took me aback.”
confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading “I confess that her attitude took me aback.”
showing regard for others in manners, speech, behavior, etc.
From this reading “I said, with polite apology.”
the manner in which something is greeted
From this reading “I was certainly unprepared for such a reception.”
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading “"I believed, madame, that you were in search of me?"”
without preparation; not prepared for
From this reading “I was certainly unprepared for such a reception.”
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 “"I believed, madame, that you were in search of me?"”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I was certainly unprepared for such a reception.
having the wind against the forward side of the sails
From this reading I confess that her attitude took me aback.
an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone
From this reading I said, with polite apology.
a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways
From this reading I confess that her attitude took me aback.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading "I believed, madame, that you were in search of me?"
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading I was certainly unprepared for such a reception.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CHERCHEZ LA FEMME.
confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading I confess that her attitude took me aback.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CHERCHEZ LA FEMME.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I was certainly unprepared for such a reception.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I confess that her attitude took me aback.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I confess that her attitude took me aback.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "I believed, madame, that you were in search of me?"
a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
From this reading CHERCHEZ LA FEMME.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading "I believed, madame, that you were in search of me?"
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I confess that her attitude took me aback.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I believed, madame, that you were in search of me?"
showing regard for others in manners, speech, behavior, etc.
From this reading I said, with polite apology.
the manner in which something is greeted
From this reading I was certainly unprepared for such a reception.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I said, with polite apology.
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading "I believed, madame, that you were in search of me?"
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading I was certainly unprepared for such a reception.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I confess that her attitude took me aback.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading I confess that her attitude took me aback.
without preparation; not prepared for
From this reading I was certainly unprepared for such a reception.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was certainly unprepared for such a reception.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "I believed, madame, that you were in search of me?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading I said, with polite apology.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I believed, madame, that you were in search of me?"
Chapter 10 of The Sign of Silence by William Le Queux holds 221 sentences, grouped into 45 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 10 holds 221 sentences of The Sign of Silence, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of The Sign of Silence by William Le Queux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 221 sentences, grouped into 45 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 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 45 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 10 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 Sign of Silence by William Le Queux on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5036 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30477 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30477, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 419 minutes of reading across 1008 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Sign of Silence section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of The Sign of Silence 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 Sign of Silence, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
