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The three taps
The three taps

Chapter XXII

Chapter 22 of The three taps is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ronald Arbuthnott Knox • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The three taps
Context Illustration Reading 1/25 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.
“It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”
“Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”
And no more was said.
They found Leyland already at breakfast when they came down.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 three taps

Chapter XXII

Chapter 22 of The three taps is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.
Line 2
“It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”
Line 3
“Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”
Line 4
And no more was said.
/ənd noʊ mɔːr wɑːz sed/
Line 5
They found Leyland already at breakfast when they came down.

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.

disclose verb US /dɪˈskloʊz/

make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret

From this reading “At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
divulged verb US /dɪˈvʌldʒd/

past form of “divulge” — make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret

From this reading “At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
expeditions noun US /ˌekspəˈdɪʃənz/

plural of “expedition” — a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country

From this reading ““Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
explanations noun US /ˌekspləˈneɪʃənz/

plural of “explanation” — a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.

From this reading “At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inquisitive adjective US /ˌɪnˈkwɪzɪtɪv/

showing curiosity

From this reading ““It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
obstinacy noun US /ˈɑːbstənəsi/

the trait of being difficult to handle or overcome

From this reading ““It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resolutely adverb US /ˈresəluːtli/

showing firm determination or purpose

From this reading “At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Standstill noun US /ˈstændstɪl/

a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible

From this reading “At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

bad habit adjective + noun

In this reading ““It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.””

1,680 times in 426,211 chapters
nearly eleven adverb + adjective

In this reading “At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.”

440 times in 426,211 chapters
At a Standstill preposition + article + noun counted as “at … standstill”

In this reading “At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.”

476 times in 426,211 chapters
came down verb + adjective counted as “come down”

move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

In this reading “They found Leyland already at breakfast when they came down.”

63,240 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 76

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 At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading They found Leyland already at breakfast when they came down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Angela

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

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Pending verification
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
breakverbUS /breɪk/

terminate

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading They found Leyland already at breakfast when they came down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Bredon

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

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Pending verification
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading They found Leyland already at breakfast when they came down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chooseverbUS /tʃuːz/

pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discloseverbUS /dɪˈskloʊz/

make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
divulgedverbUS /dɪˈvʌldʒd/

past form of “divulge” — make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading They found Leyland already at breakfast when they came down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dragverbUS /dræɡ/

pull, as against a resistance

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dustverbUS /dʌst/

remove the dust from

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
elevenadjectiveUS /ɪˈlevən/

being one more than ten

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
expeditionsnounUS /ˌekspəˈdɪʃənz/

plural of “expedition” — a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
explainedverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnd/

past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
explanationsnounUS /ˌekspləˈneɪʃənz/

plural of “explanation” — a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading They found Leyland already at breakfast when they came down.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
habitnounUS /ˈhæbət/

an established custom

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
I'm

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

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

Pending verification
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inquisitiveadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkwɪzɪtɪv/

showing curiosity

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
It's

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

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

Pending verification
Leyland

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

From this reading They found Leyland already at breakfast when they came down.

Pending verification
mentionverbUS /ˈmenʃən/

make reference to

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
midnightnounUS /ˈmɪdnaɪt/

12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
movementsnounUS /ˈmuːvmənts/

plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
obstinacynounUS /ˈɑːbstənəsi/

the trait of being difficult to handle or overcome

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
refusedverbUS /rəˈfjuːzd/

past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resolutelyadverbUS /ˈresəluːtli/

showing firm determination or purpose

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

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

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
StandstillnounUS /ˈstændstɪl/

a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theorynounUS /ˈθɪri/

a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
there's

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

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

Pending verification
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They found Leyland already at breakfast when they came down.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
unlessconjunctionUS /ənˈles/

except if; if not

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading “Well, well,” said Bredon, “if you choose to drag my name in the dust, not to mention my car, by these midnight expeditions, there’s no more to be said.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading At a Standstill It was nearly eleven o’clock before Angela returned; and, since she resolutely refused to disclose anything about her movements unless Bredon divulged his theory, there were no explanations at all that night.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading They found Leyland already at breakfast when they came down.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “It’s not that I’m inquisitive,” she explained, “but I do want to break you of that bad habit of obstinacy.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 22 of The three taps by Ronald Arbuthnott Knox holds 129 sentences, grouped into 26 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 22 of The three taps contain?

Chapter 22 holds 129 sentences of The three taps, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 22 of The three taps by Ronald Arbuthnott Knox exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 129 sentences, grouped into 26 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 22 of The three taps?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 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 22 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 22 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 three taps

Common questions about reading The three taps by Ronald Arbuthnott Knox on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The three taps?

Yes. All 4357 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73198 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The three taps is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #73198, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The three taps take to read?

About 363 minutes of reading across 872 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The three taps section by section

How to work through The three taps section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of The three taps 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 three taps

Words and structures a reader meets early in The three taps, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Detective
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The three taps; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The three taps; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Without
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The three taps; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Moral
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The three taps; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.