Chapter 28 of The Sign of the Spider is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter 28 of The Sign of the Spider is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"ONLY A SAVAGE!" "Nyonyoba!" Clear, distinct, the name sounded, floating down from above. "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone. For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
Chapter 28 of The Sign of the Spider is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/34 · 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 prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading “"What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.”
(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality
From this reading “Clear, distinct, the name sounded, floating down from above.”
an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading “"What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.”
borne up by or suspended in a liquid
From this reading “Clear, distinct, the name sounded, floating down from above.”
a clear appearance
From this reading “For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.”
an uneasy psychological state
From this reading “For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.”
a tremulous sound
From this reading “"What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.”
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading “Clear, distinct, the name sounded, floating down from above.”
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 "ONLY A SAVAGE!"
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Clear, distinct, the name sounded, floating down from above.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
rid of obstructions
From this reading Clear, distinct, the name sounded, floating down from above.
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality
From this reading Clear, distinct, the name sounded, floating down from above.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Clear, distinct, the name sounded, floating down from above.
an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
borne up by or suspended in a liquid
From this reading Clear, distinct, the name sounded, floating down from above.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Clear, distinct, the name sounded, floating down from above.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
a clear appearance
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Clear, distinct, the name sounded, floating down from above.
an uneasy psychological state
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
not any; not one
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Nyonyoba!"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
and nothing more
From this reading "ONLY A SAVAGE!"
being in a tense state
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
a tremulous sound
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading "ONLY A SAVAGE!"
a thing, without saying which
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading Clear, distinct, the name sounded, floating down from above.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Clear, distinct, the name sounded, floating down from above.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
not known
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What the devil is that?" was the characteristic exclamation that burst from Laurence--and there was something of a quaver in the tone.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading For his nerves were quite overstrung, and no manifestation of things unknown would have surprised him now.
Chapter 28 of The Sign of the Spider by Bertram Mitford holds 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 28 holds 172 sentences of The Sign of the Spider, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 28 of The Sign of the Spider by Bertram Mitford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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 28 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 the Spider by Bertram Mitford on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5340 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27476 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #27476, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 445 minutes of reading across 1068 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Sign of the Spider section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 31 chapters of The Sign of the Spider 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 the Spider, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
