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The Slave of Silence
The Slave of Silence

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Slave of Silence is here in full — 306 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/61 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.
He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.
Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.
"You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.
"There will be no disturbance as far as I am concerned.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Slave of Silence

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Slave of Silence is here in full — 306 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/61 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.
Line 2
He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.
/hiː hæd ˈevəri dɪˈzaɪər tuː əˈblaɪdʒ hiː sed bʌt ˈrɪli ðə haʊs wɑːz pækt tuː ɪts ˈʌtmoʊst kəˈpæsəti/
Line 3
Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.
Line 4
"You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.
/juː meɪ meɪk jɔːr maɪnd kwaɪt ˈiːzi ɑːn ðæt skɔːr sed fiːld wɪð ə ˌriːəˈʃʊrɪŋ smaɪl/
Line 5
"There will be no disturbance as far as I am concerned.
/ðer wɪl biː noʊ dɪˈstɜːrbəns æz fɑːr æz aɪ æm kənˈsɜːrnd/

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.

disturbance noun US /dɪˈstɜːrbəns/

activity that is a malfunction, intrusion, or interruption

From this reading “"There will be no disturbance as far as I am concerned.”

Field's noun US /fiːldz/

possessive form of “field” — a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading “The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.”

harmony noun US /ˈhɑːrməni/

compatibility in opinion and action

From this reading “Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.”

immaculately adverb US /ˌɪˈmækjələtli/

in an immaculate manner

From this reading “The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.”

oblige verb US /əˈblaɪdʒ/

force somebody to do something

From this reading “He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.”

packed adjective US /pækt/

extremely crowed or filled to capacity

From this reading “He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.”

proceedings noun US /proʊˈsiːdɪŋz/

(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked

From this reading “Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.”

reassuring adjective US /ˌriːəˈʃʊrɪŋ/

restoring confidence and relieving anxiety

From this reading “"You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.”

All words in this reading · 61

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 "You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.

AlsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "There will be no disturbance as far as I am concerned.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "There will be no disturbance as far as I am concerned.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

capacitynounUS /kəˈpæsəti/

capability to perform or produce

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

cardnounUS /kɑːrd/

one of a set of small pieces of stiff paper marked in various ways and used for playing games or for telling fortunes

From this reading The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.

concernedadjectiveUS /kənˈsɜːrnd/

feeling or showing worry or solicitude

From this reading "There will be no disturbance as far as I am concerned.

desirenounUS /dɪˈzaɪər/

the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

disturbverbUS /dɪˈstɜːrb/

move deeply

From this reading Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.

disturbancenounUS /dɪˈstɜːrbəns/

activity that is a malfunction, intrusion, or interruption

From this reading "There will be no disturbance as far as I am concerned.

doubtfullyadverb

in a doubtful manner

From this reading The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.

dressedadjectiveUS /drest/

dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination

From this reading The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.

easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading "You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading "There will be no disturbance as far as I am concerned.

FieldnounUS /fiːld/

a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading "You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.

Field'snounUS /fiːldz/

possessive form of “field” — a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

harmonynounUS /ˈhɑːrməni/

compatibility in opinion and action

From this reading Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

hopedverbUS /hoʊpt/

past form of “hope” — expect and wish

From this reading Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "There will be no disturbance as far as I am concerned.

immaculatelyadverbUS /ˌɪˈmækjələtli/

in an immaculate manner

From this reading The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading "You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading "You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "There will be no disturbance as far as I am concerned.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.

obligeverbUS /əˈblaɪdʒ/

force somebody to do something

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.

officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.

packedadjectiveUS /pækt/

extremely crowed or filled to capacity

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

proceedingsnounUS /proʊˈsiːdɪŋz/

(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked

From this reading Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading "You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

reassuringadjectiveUS /ˌriːəˈʃʊrɪŋ/

restoring confidence and relieving anxiety

From this reading "You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

scorenounUS /skɔːr/

a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)

From this reading "You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.

smileverbUS /smaɪl/

change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading "You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.

utmostadjectiveUS /ˈʌtmoʊst/

of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He had every desire to oblige, he said, but really the house was packed to its utmost capacity.

well-dressedadjective

having tasteful clothing and being scrupulously neat

From this reading Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "There will be no disturbance as far as I am concerned.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Also the well-dressed young man hoped that there would be nothing to disturb the harmony of the proceedings.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading The immaculately dressed young man in the office turned Field's card over doubtfully.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You may make your mind quite easy on that score," said Field with a reassuring smile.

Chapter 20 of The Slave of Silence by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White holds 306 sentences, grouped into 62 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 20 of The Slave of Silence contain?

Chapter 20 holds 306 sentences of The Slave of Silence, unabridged, divided into 62 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Slave of Silence by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 306 sentences, grouped into 62 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 20 of The Slave of Silence?

Work through the 62 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 62 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Slave of Silence

Common questions about reading The Slave of Silence by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Slave of Silence?

Yes. All 6557 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27395 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Slave of Silence is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #27395, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Slave of Silence take to read?

About 546 minutes of reading across 1312 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Slave of Silence section by section

How to work through The Slave of Silence section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Slave of Silence to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Slave of Silence

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Slave of Silence, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Turned
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Slave of Silence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Splendour
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Slave of Silence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Aching
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Slave of Silence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Against
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Slave of Silence; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.