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The Stark Munro Letters
Being series of
The Stark Munro Letters Being series of

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of The Stark Munro Letters Being series of is here in full — 173 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Stark Munro Letters
Being series of
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
XV.
OAKLEY VILLAS, BIRCHESPOOL, 3rd August, 1883.
Do you think that such a thing as chance exists?
Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.
You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.
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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 Stark Munro Letters Being series of

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of The Stark Munro Letters Being series of is here in full — 173 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
XV.
Line 2
OAKLEY VILLAS, BIRCHESPOOL, 3rd August, 1883.
Line 3
Do you think that such a thing as chance exists?
Line 4
Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.
Line 5
You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

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.

Mind noun US /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading “Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

1883

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

From this reading OAKLEY VILLAS, BIRCHESPOOL, 3rd August, 1883.

3rd

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

From this reading OAKLEY VILLAS, BIRCHESPOOL, 3rd August, 1883.

a

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

From this reading Do you think that such a thing as chance exists?

accepting

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

an

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

and

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

are

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

as

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

From this reading Do you think that such a thing as chance exists?

August

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

From this reading OAKLEY VILLAS, BIRCHESPOOL, 3rd August, 1883.

back

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

BIRCHESPOOL

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

From this reading OAKLEY VILLAS, BIRCHESPOOL, 3rd August, 1883.

but

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

cast

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

chance

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

From this reading Do you think that such a thing as chance exists?

channel

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

current

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

deflect

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

Do

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

From this reading Do you think that such a thing as chance exists?

down

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

exists

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

From this reading Do you think that such a thing as chance exists?

explosive

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

how

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

if

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

into

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

invitation

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

know

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

letter

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

life

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

lives

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

may

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

me

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

OAKLEY

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

From this reading OAKLEY VILLAS, BIRCHESPOOL, 3rd August, 1883.

of

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

often

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

or

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

other

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

our

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

over

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

own

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

pray

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

Rather

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

really

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

rejecting

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

sentence

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

some

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

sports

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

start

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

street

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

such

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

From this reading Do you think that such a thing as chance exists?

tell

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

that

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

From this reading Do you think that such a thing as chance exists?

the

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

thing

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

From this reading Do you think that such a thing as chance exists?

think

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

From this reading Do you think that such a thing as chance exists?

this

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

to

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

turning

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

VILLAS

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

From this reading OAKLEY VILLAS, BIRCHESPOOL, 3rd August, 1883.

we

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

whole

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

From this reading You know how often the turning down this street or that, the accepting or rejecting of an invitation, may deflect the whole current of our lives into some other channel.

with

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

XV

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

From this reading XV.

you

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

From this reading Do you think that such a thing as chance exists?

your

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

From this reading Rather an explosive sentence to start a letter with; but pray cast your mind back over your own life, and tell me if you think that we really are the sports of chance.

Chapter 21 of The Stark Munro Letters Being series of by Arthur Conan Doyle holds 173 sentences, grouped into 35 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.

What does chapter 21 of The Stark Munro Letters Being series of contain?

Chapter 21 holds 173 sentences of The Stark Munro Letters Being series of, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The Stark Munro Letters Being series of by Arthur Conan Doyle exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 173 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.

How do I study chapter 21 of The Stark Munro Letters Being series of?

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.

Can chapter 21 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Stark Munro Letters Being series of

Common questions about reading The Stark Munro Letters Being series of by Arthur Conan Doyle on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Stark Munro Letters Being series of?

Yes. All 4172 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #290 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Stark Munro Letters Being series of is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #290, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Stark Munro Letters Being series of take to read?

About 347 minutes of reading across 835 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Stark Munro Letters Being series of section by section

How to work through The Stark Munro Letters Being series of section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of The Stark Munro Letters Being series of 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 Stark Munro Letters Being series of

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Stark Munro Letters Being series of, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Edited
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Stark Munro Letters Being series of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Arranged
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Stark Munro Letters Being series of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Conan
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Stark Munro Letters Being series of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Doyle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Stark Munro Letters Being series of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.