Chapter 21 of The Snare is here in full — 356 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of The Snare is here in full — 356 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“I will withdraw, sir,” said Terence. But Wellington detained him. “Since Dom Miguel asked for you, you had better remain, perhaps.” “It is the adjutant-general Dom Miguel desires to see, and I am adjutant-general no longer.” “Still, the matter may concern you.
Chapter 21 of The Snare is here in full — 356 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/71 · 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.
something that interests you because it is important or affects you
From this reading ““Still, the matter may concern you.”
plural of “desire” — the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading ““It is the adjutant-general Dom Miguel desires to see, and I am adjutant-general no longer.””
past form of “detain” — deprive of freedom; take into confinement
From this reading “But Wellington detained him.”
for more time
From this reading ““It is the adjutant-general Dom Miguel desires to see, and I am adjutant-general no longer.””
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading ““Since Dom Miguel asked for you, you had better remain, perhaps.””
dramatist of ancient Rome (born in Greece) whose comedies were based on works by Menander (190?-159 BC)
From this reading ““I will withdraw, sir,” said Terence.”
British general and statesman; he defeated Napoleon at Waterloo; subsequently served as Prime Minister (1769-1852)
From this reading “But Wellington detained him.”
pull back or move away or backward
From this reading ““I will withdraw, sir,” said Terence.”
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 “It is the adjutant-general Dom Miguel desires to see, and I am adjutant-general no longer.”
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “It is the adjutant-general Dom Miguel desires to see, and I am adjutant-general no longer.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “It is the adjutant-general Dom Miguel desires to see, and I am adjutant-general no longer.”
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Since Dom Miguel asked for you, you had better remain, perhaps.”
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “Since Dom Miguel asked for you, you had better remain, perhaps.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Wellington detained him.
something that interests you because it is important or affects you
From this reading “Still, the matter may concern you.
plural of “desire” — the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading “It is the adjutant-general Dom Miguel desires to see, and I am adjutant-general no longer.”
past form of “detain” — deprive of freedom; take into confinement
From this reading But Wellington detained him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Since Dom Miguel asked for you, you had better remain, perhaps.”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Since Dom Miguel asked for you, you had better remain, perhaps.”
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “Since Dom Miguel asked for you, you had better remain, perhaps.”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But Wellington detained him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I will withdraw, sir,” said Terence.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It is the adjutant-general Dom Miguel desires to see, and I am adjutant-general no longer.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It is the adjutant-general Dom Miguel desires to see, and I am adjutant-general no longer.”
for more time
From this reading “It is the adjutant-general Dom Miguel desires to see, and I am adjutant-general no longer.”
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading “Still, the matter may concern you.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading “Still, the matter may concern you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Since Dom Miguel asked for you, you had better remain, perhaps.”
not any; not one
From this reading “It is the adjutant-general Dom Miguel desires to see, and I am adjutant-general no longer.”
by chance
From this reading “Since Dom Miguel asked for you, you had better remain, perhaps.”
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “Since Dom Miguel asked for you, you had better remain, perhaps.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I will withdraw, sir,” said Terence.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “It is the adjutant-general Dom Miguel desires to see, and I am adjutant-general no longer.”
from a time in the past until now
From this reading “Since Dom Miguel asked for you, you had better remain, perhaps.”
term of address for a man
From this reading “I will withdraw, sir,” said Terence.
not in physical motion
From this reading “Still, the matter may concern you.
dramatist of ancient Rome (born in Greece) whose comedies were based on works by Menander (190?-159 BC)
From this reading “I will withdraw, sir,” said Terence.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “It is the adjutant-general Dom Miguel desires to see, and I am adjutant-general no longer.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “It is the adjutant-general Dom Miguel desires to see, and I am adjutant-general no longer.”
British general and statesman; he defeated Napoleon at Waterloo; subsequently served as Prime Minister (1769-1852)
From this reading But Wellington detained him.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “I will withdraw, sir,” said Terence.
pull back or move away or backward
From this reading “I will withdraw, sir,” said Terence.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Since Dom Miguel asked for you, you had better remain, perhaps.”
Chapter 21 of The Snare by Rafael Sabatini holds 356 sentences, grouped into 72 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 21 holds 356 sentences of The Snare, unabridged, divided into 72 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of The Snare by Rafael Sabatini exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 356 sentences, grouped into 72 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 72 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 72 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 21 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 Snare by Rafael Sabatini on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5220 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2687 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2687, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 435 minutes of reading across 1044 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Snare section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Snare 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 Snare, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
