The Sin That Was His

Chapter XIV · The House on the Point

Chapter XIV of The Sin That Was His, “The House on the Point,” is here in full — 343 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard • Curated US English Learning Edition

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|IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

He had done a very strange thing.

He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

It had been dim, and still, and cool, and restful in there--in the church.

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Chapter XIV Reading 1/68

The Sin That Was His Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard

Chapter XIV

The House on the Point

Chapter XIV of The Sin That Was His, “The House on the Point,” is here in full — 343 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

|IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_. He had done a very strange thing. He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed. It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's. It had been dim, and still, and cool, and restful in there--in the church.

The Sin That Was His

Chapter XIV · The House on the Point

Chapter XIV of The Sin That Was His, “The House on the Point,” is here in full — 343 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/68 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

|IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

Line 2

He had done a very strange thing.

/hiː hæd dʌn ə ˈveri streɪndʒ θɪŋ/

Line 3

He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

Line 4

It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

Line 5

It had been dim, and still, and cool, and restful in there--in the church.

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.

breaking noun US /ˈbreɪkɪŋ/

the act of breaking something

From this reading “It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.”

cool adjective US /kuːl/

neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

From this reading “It had been dim, and still, and cool, and restful in there--in the church.”

dim adjective US /dɪm/

lacking in light; not bright or harsh

From this reading “It had been dim, and still, and cool, and restful in there--in the church.”

respite noun US /ˈrespɪt/

a (temporary) relief from harm or discomfort

From this reading “It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.”

restful adjective US /ˈrestfəl/

affording physical or mental rest

From this reading “It had been dim, and still, and cool, and restful in there--in the church.”

sought adjective US /sɔːt/

that is looked for

From this reading “It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.”

twilight noun US /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/

the time of day immediately following sunset

From this reading “He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.”

unnoticed adjective US /ənˈnoʊtɪst/

not noticed

From this reading “He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.”

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.

half hour adjective + noun

In this reading “|IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.”

strange thing adjective + noun

In this reading “He had done a very strange thing.”

breaking point noun + noun

(psychology) stress at which a person breaks down or a situation becomes crucial

In this reading “It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.”

come down verb + adjective

move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

In this reading “It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.”

into the church preposition + article + noun counted as “into … church”

In this reading “He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.”

All words in this reading · 58

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 |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It had been dim, and still, and cool, and restful in there--in the church.

Blondin's

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

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

breakingnounUS /ˈbreɪkɪŋ/

the act of breaking something

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

churchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

cooladjectiveUS /kuːl/

neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

From this reading It had been dim, and still, and cool, and restful in there--in the church.

dimadjectiveUS /dɪm/

lacking in light; not bright or harsh

From this reading It had been dim, and still, and cool, and restful in there--in the church.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading He had done a very strange thing.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had done a very strange thing.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had done a very strange thing.

hillnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

ITpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

MothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

nerve-racked

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

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

presbytère

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

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

Raymond

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

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

respitenounUS /ˈrespɪt/

a (temporary) relief from harm or discomfort

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

restfuladjectiveUS /ˈrestfəl/

affording physical or mental rest

From this reading It had been dim, and still, and cool, and restful in there--in the church.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

sacristynoun

a room in a church where sacred vessels and vestments are kept or meetings are held

From this reading He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

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

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

soughtadjectiveUS /sɔːt/

that is looked for

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading It had been dim, and still, and cool, and restful in there--in the church.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading He had done a very strange thing.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

suppernounUS /ˈsʌpər/

a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was the quiet he had sought, respite for a mind that had suddenly seemed nerve-racked to the breaking point as he had come down the hill from Mother Blondin's.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading He had done a very strange thing.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

twilightnounUS /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/

the time of day immediately following sunset

From this reading He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

unnoticedadjectiveUS /ənˈnoʊtɪst/

not noticed

From this reading He had gone into the church, and sat there in the silence and the quiet of the sacristy--and twilight had come unnoticed.

usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading He had done a very strange thing.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading |IT was late, a good half hour after the usual supper time, when Raymond returned to the _presbytère_.

Chapter 14 of The Sin That Was His by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard holds 343 sentences, grouped into 69 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 14 of The Sin That Was His contain?

Chapter 14 holds 343 sentences of The Sin That Was His, unabridged, divided into 69 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of The Sin That Was His by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 343 sentences, grouped into 69 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 14 of The Sin That Was His?

Work through the 69 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 69 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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.

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Yes. All 7020 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51983 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #51983, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 585 minutes of reading across 1404 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter XIV · The House on the Point

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