Chapter 3 of The Stolen Statesman is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Stolen Statesman is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips. Before he did speak, he pulled out his watch and noted the time. "This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length. "How do you stand, Mr Wingate, as regards time? Can you spare me the whole of the day?"
Chapter 3 of The Stolen Statesman is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
be able to spare or give up
From this reading “"This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.”
marked by eager anticipation
From this reading “It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.”
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading “It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.”
plural of “listener” — someone who listens attentively
From this reading “It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.”
widely known and esteemed
From this reading “Before he did speak, he pulled out his watch and noted the time.”
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading “Before he did speak, he pulled out his watch and noted the time.”
plural of “regard” — (usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading “"How do you stand, Mr Wingate, as regards time?”
refrain from harming
From this reading “Can you spare me the whole of the day?"”
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.
in a lengthy or prolix manner
In this reading “"This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.”
move out or away
In this reading “Before he did speak, he pulled out his watch and noted the time.”
In this reading “It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.
be able to spare or give up
From this reading "This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.
anew
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Before he did speak, he pulled out his watch and noted the time.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "How do you stand, Mr Wingate, as regards time?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Can you spare me the whole of the day?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Can you spare me the whole of the day?"
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Before he did speak, he pulled out his watch and noted the time.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "How do you stand, Mr Wingate, as regards time?
marked by eager anticipation
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How do you stand, Mr Wingate, as regards time?
of great significance or value
From this reading "This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading "This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
plural of “listener” — someone who listens attentively
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading "This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Can you spare me the whole of the day?"
a particular point in time
From this reading "This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "How do you stand, Mr Wingate, as regards time?
widely known and esteemed
From this reading Before he did speak, he pulled out his watch and noted the time.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Can you spare me the whole of the day?"
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Before he did speak, he pulled out his watch and noted the time.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading Before he did speak, he pulled out his watch and noted the time.
plural of “regard” — (usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading "How do you stand, Mr Wingate, as regards time?
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
refrain from harming
From this reading Can you spare me the whole of the day?"
express in speech
From this reading Before he did speak, he pulled out his watch and noted the time.
be standing; be upright
From this reading "How do you stand, Mr Wingate, as regards time?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It seemed an interminable time to the expectant listeners before he again opened his lips.
look attentively
From this reading Before he did speak, he pulled out his watch and noted the time.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "This may be important, and we cannot afford to lose a moment," he said at length.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading Can you spare me the whole of the day?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How do you stand, Mr Wingate, as regards time?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "How do you stand, Mr Wingate, as regards time?
Chapter 3 of The Stolen Statesman by William Le Queux holds 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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 3 holds 438 sentences of The Stolen Statesman, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Stolen Statesman by William Le Queux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 3 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 Stolen Statesman by William Le Queux on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4699 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41130 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #41130, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 391 minutes of reading across 940 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Stolen Statesman section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Stolen Statesman 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 Stolen Statesman, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
