Chapter 8 of The Sign of the Stranger is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Sign of the Stranger is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Not that I'm aware of. He would be her friend, most probably. Ah! if that woman would only tell me the truth. But she will not. I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."
Chapter 8 of The Sign of the Stranger is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading “"Not that I'm aware of.”
past form of “condemn” — express strong disapproval of
From this reading “I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."”
plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading “I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."”
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading “He would be her friend, most probably.”
in order that something should not happen
From this reading “I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."”
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading “He would be her friend, most probably.”
express in speech
From this reading “I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."”
a fact that has been verified
From this reading “Ah! if that woman would only tell me the truth.”
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.
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ah! if that woman would only tell me the truth.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading "Not that I'm aware of.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He would be her friend, most probably.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But she will not.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."
past form of “condemn” — express strong disapproval of
From this reading I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."
plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading He would be her friend, most probably.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He would be her friend, most probably.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He would be her friend, most probably.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Not that I'm aware of.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Ah! if that woman would only tell me the truth.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."
in order that something should not happen
From this reading I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Ah! if that woman would only tell me the truth.
used to form the superlative
From this reading He would be her friend, most probably.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Not that I'm aware of.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Not that I'm aware of.
and nothing more
From this reading Ah! if that woman would only tell me the truth.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading He would be her friend, most probably.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But she will not.
express in speech
From this reading I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."
express in words
From this reading Ah! if that woman would only tell me the truth.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Not that I'm aware of.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Ah! if that woman would only tell me the truth.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I know that she fears to speak lest by the truth she may herself be condemned."
a fact that has been verified
From this reading Ah! if that woman would only tell me the truth.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading But she will not.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Ah! if that woman would only tell me the truth.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He would be her friend, most probably.
Chapter 8 of The Sign of the Stranger by William Le Queux holds 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 8 holds 401 sentences of The Sign of the Stranger, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Sign of the Stranger by William Le Queux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 8 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 Stranger by William Le Queux on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4495 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41089 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #41089, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 374 minutes of reading across 899 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Sign of the Stranger section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Sign of the Stranger 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 Stranger, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
