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The Sign of the Seven Sins
The Sign of the Seven Sins

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of The Sign of the Seven Sins is here in full — 324 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Sign of the Seven Sins
Context Illustration Reading 1/64 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PIECES TOGETHER THE PUZZLE....
I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.
Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.
Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.
Her appearance was scarcely that of the keeper of an illicit gambling-house.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Sign of the Seven Sins

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of The Sign of the Seven Sins is here in full — 324 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/64 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PIECES TOGETHER THE PUZZLE....
/ˈpiːsəz təˈɡeðər ðə ˈpʌzəl/
Line 2
I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.
Line 3
Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.
/əˈpɑːn hɪz feɪs wɑːz ə dɑːrk ˈæŋkʃəs lʊk æn ɪkˈspreʃən sʌtʃ æz aɪ hæd ˈnevər siːn ðer bɪˈfɔːr/
Line 4
Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.
/pərˈhæps hiː wɑːz ˈdʒeləs ʌv ðə əˈtenʃənz ʃoʊn baɪ ðə ˈdʌzən ɔːr soʊ ʌv men huː wɜːr ˈtʃætɪŋ ənd ˈlæfɪŋ wɪð hɜːr/
Line 5
Her appearance was scarcely that of the keeper of an illicit gambling-house.

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.

attentions noun US /əˈtenʃənz/

plural of “attention” — the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

From this reading “Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.”

centre noun US /ˈsentər/

a low-lying region in central France

From this reading “I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.”

chatting verb US /ˈtʃætɪŋ/

inflected form of “chat” — talk socially without exchanging too much information

From this reading “Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.”

illicit adjective US /ˌɪˈlɪsət/

contrary to accepted morality (especially sexual morality) or convention

From this reading “Her appearance was scarcely that of the keeper of an illicit gambling-house.”

jealous adjective US /ˈdʒeləs/

showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's advantages

From this reading “Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.”

keeper noun US /ˈkiːpər/

someone in charge of other people

From this reading “Her appearance was scarcely that of the keeper of an illicit gambling-house.”

miniature noun US /ˈmɪniətʃʊr/

painting or drawing included in a book (especially in illuminated medieval manuscripts)

From this reading “I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.”

puzzle verb US /ˈpʌzəl/

be a mystery or bewildering to

From this reading “PIECES TOGETHER THE PUZZLE....”

All words in this reading · 62

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 I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.

anxiousadjectiveUS /ˈæŋkʃəs/

eagerly desirous

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading Her appearance was scarcely that of the keeper of an illicit gambling-house.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

attentionsnounUS /əˈtenʃənz/

plural of “attention” — the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

From this reading Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.

centrenounUS /ˈsentər/

a low-lying region in central France

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

chattingverbUS /ˈtʃætɪŋ/

inflected form of “chat” — talk socially without exchanging too much information

From this reading Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.

courtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

dozennounUS /ˈdʌzən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one

From this reading Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.

expressionnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃən/

the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

facenounUS /feɪs/

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

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

failedverbUS /feɪld/

past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

fair-hairedadjective

favorite

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

fixedadjectiveUS /fɪkst/

(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

gambling-house

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

From this reading Her appearance was scarcely that of the keeper of an illicit gambling-house.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

illicitadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈlɪsət/

contrary to accepted morality (especially sexual morality) or convention

From this reading Her appearance was scarcely that of the keeper of an illicit gambling-house.

jealousadjectiveUS /ˈdʒeləs/

showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's advantages

From this reading Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.

keepernounUS /ˈkiːpər/

someone in charge of other people

From this reading Her appearance was scarcely that of the keeper of an illicit gambling-house.

laughingadjectiveUS /ˈlæfɪŋ/

showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness

From this reading Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.

miniaturenounUS /ˈmɪniətʃʊr/

painting or drawing included in a book (especially in illuminated medieval manuscripts)

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

noticenounUS /ˈnoʊtəs/

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.

PerhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.

PIECESnounUS /ˈpiːsəz/

plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole

From this reading PIECES TOGETHER THE PUZZLE....

PUZZLEverbUS /ˈpʌzəl/

be a mystery or bewildering to

From this reading PIECES TOGETHER THE PUZZLE....

quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/

with speed

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/

only a very short time before

From this reading Her appearance was scarcely that of the keeper of an illicit gambling-house.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

shownverbUS /ʃoʊn/

inflected form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.

steppedverbUS /stept/

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading PIECES TOGETHER THE PUZZLE....

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

TOGETHERadverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading PIECES TOGETHER THE PUZZLE....

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Upon his face was a dark, anxious look, an expression such as I had never seen there before.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Perhaps he was jealous of the attentions shown by the dozen or so of men who were chatting and laughing with her.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading I stepped back quickly, while he, with eyes fixed upon that fair-haired woman, who seemed the centre of a miniature court, failed to notice me.

Chapter 19 of The Sign of the Seven Sins by William Le Queux holds 324 sentences, grouped into 65 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 19 of The Sign of the Seven Sins contain?

Chapter 19 holds 324 sentences of The Sign of the Seven Sins, unabridged, divided into 65 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of The Sign of the Seven Sins by William Le Queux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 324 sentences, grouped into 65 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 19 of The Sign of the Seven Sins?

Work through the 65 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 65 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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 the Seven Sins

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

Is this the complete text of The Sign of the Seven Sins?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Sign of the Seven Sins is used?

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

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About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Sign of the Seven Sins

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

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The Sign of the Seven Sins, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The Sign of the Seven Sins, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.