The Tickencote Treasure

Chapter XXIV

Chapter 24 of The Tickencote Treasure is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William Le Queux • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Tickencote Treasure

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE MYSTERY OF MARGARET KNUTTON WE returned to the Manor, and Seal, refreshed by his lunch, seized a crowbar and wielding it with his great strength announced himself ready to assist us.

Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.

We had seen no more of Bennett.

He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.

Narrator

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.

Chapter XXIV Reading 1/27

The Tickencote Treasure William Le Queux

Chapter XXIV

Chapter 24 of The Tickencote Treasure is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE MYSTERY OF MARGARET KNUTTON WE returned to the Manor, and Seal, refreshed by his lunch, seized a crowbar and wielding it with his great strength announced himself ready to assist us. Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward. So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting. We had seen no more of Bennett. He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.

The Tickencote Treasure

Chapter XXIV

Chapter 24 of The Tickencote Treasure is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE MYSTERY OF MARGARET KNUTTON WE returned to the Manor, and Seal, refreshed by his lunch, seized a crowbar and wielding it with his great strength announced himself ready to assist us.

Line 2

Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

/laɪk aʊərˈselvz hiː felt ˈsɜːrtən ðæt ðə ˈtreʒər ˈbiːɪŋ ˈhɪdən ˈsʌmwer ɪn ðæt haʊs ˈdɪlɪdʒənt sɜːrtʃ wʊd hæv ɪts rɪˈwɔːrd/

Line 3

So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.

/soʊ hiː ˈstɑːrtɪd ɑːn hɪz oʊn əˈkaʊnt ˈtæpɪŋ wɔːlz ənd ˌɪnˈvestəɡeɪtɪŋ luːs bɔːrdz ənd ˈhɑːloʊ ˈweɪnskɔːtɪŋ/

Line 4

We had seen no more of Bennett.

/wiː hæd siːn noʊ mɔːr ʌv ˈbenət/

Line 5

He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.

/hiː hæd kʌm tuː ðə plaʊ ˈprɑːbəbliː wɪð ðə ˈɑːbdʒekt ʌv ˌæsərˈteɪnɪŋ huː wiː wɜːr ənd hæd dɪˈpɑːrtɪd æz ˈkwaɪətli æz hiː hæd kʌm/

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.

ascertaining verb US /ˌæsərˈteɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “ascertain” — establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study

From this reading “He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.”

Bennett noun US /ˈbenət/

United States aviator who (with Richard E. Byrd) piloted the first flight over the North Pole (1890-1928)

From this reading “We had seen no more of Bennett.”

crowbar noun US /ˈkroʊbɑːr/

a heavy iron lever with one end forged into a wedge

From this reading “THE MYSTERY OF MARGARET KNUTTON WE returned to the Manor, and Seal, refreshed by his lunch, seized a crowbar and wielding it with his great strength announced himself ready to assist us.”

diligent adjective US /ˈdɪlɪdʒənt/

quietly and steadily persevering especially in detail or exactness

From this reading “Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.”

investigating noun US /ˌɪnˈvestəɡeɪtɪŋ/

the work of inquiring into something thoroughly and systematically

From this reading “So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.”

Plough noun US /plaʊ/

a group of seven bright stars in the constellation Ursa Major

From this reading “He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.”

wainscotting noun US /ˈweɪnskɔːtɪŋ/

a wainscoted wall (or wainscoted walls collectively)

From this reading “So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.”

wielding verb US /ˈwiːldɪŋ/

-ing form of “wield” — have and exercise

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.

own account verb + noun

In this reading “So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.”

felt certain verb + adjective

In this reading “Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.”

great strength adjective + noun

In this reading “THE MYSTERY OF MARGARET KNUTTON WE returned to the Manor, and Seal, refreshed by his lunch, seized a crowbar and wielding it with his great strength announced himself ready to assist us.”

started on verb + particle counted as “start on”

In this reading “So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.”

All words in this reading · 73

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 THE MYSTERY OF MARGARET KNUTTON WE returned to the Manor, and Seal, refreshed by his lunch, seized a crowbar and wielding it with his great strength announced himself ready to assist us.

accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/

a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

announcedadjectiveUS /əˈnaʊnst/

declared publicly; made widely known

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.

ascertainingverbUS /ˌæsərˈteɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “ascertain” — establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study

From this reading He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.

assistverbUS /əˈsɪst/

give help or assistance; be of service

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

BennettnounUS /ˈbenət/

United States aviator who (with Richard E. Byrd) piloted the first flight over the North Pole (1890-1928)

From this reading We had seen no more of Bennett.

boardsnounUS /bɔːrdz/

(used in the plural) the stage of a theater

From this reading So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.

crowbarnounUS /ˈkroʊbɑːr/

a heavy iron lever with one end forged into a wedge

departedadjectiveUS /dɪˈpɑːrtɪd/

well in the past; former

From this reading He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.

diligentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪlɪdʒənt/

quietly and steadily persevering especially in detail or exactness

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading We had seen no more of Bennett.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

hiddenadjectiveUS /ˈhɪdən/

not accessible to view

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

hollowadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːloʊ/

not solid; having a space or gap or cavity

From this reading So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.

housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

investigatingnounUS /ˌɪnˈvestəɡeɪtɪŋ/

the work of inquiring into something thoroughly and systematically

From this reading So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

KNUTTON

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

LikeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

looseadjectiveUS /luːs/

not compact or dense in structure or arrangement

From this reading So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.

lunchverbUS /lʌntʃ/

take the midday meal

ManornounUS /ˈmænər/

the mansion of a lord or wealthy person

MARGARET

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

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading We had seen no more of Bennett.

MYSTERYnounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading We had seen no more of Bennett.

objectnounUS /ˈɑːbdʒekt/

a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

From this reading He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.

ourselvespronounUS /aʊərˈselvz/

used when we are both doing the action and receiving it

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.

PloughnounUS /plaʊ/

a group of seven bright stars in the constellation Ursa Major

From this reading He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.

probablyadverbUS /ˈprɑːbəbliː/

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.

quietlyadverbUS /ˈkwaɪətli/

with low volume

From this reading He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

refreshedadjectiveUS /riˈfreʃt/

with restored energy

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

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

rewardnounUS /rɪˈwɔːrd/

a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

SealverbUS /siːl/

make tight; secure against leakage

searchverbUS /sɜːrtʃ/

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading We had seen no more of Bennett.

seizedverbUS /siːzd/

past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.

somewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.

strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/

the property of being physically or mentally strong

tappingnounUS /ˈtæpɪŋ/

the sound of light blow or knock

From this reading So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

treasurenounUS /ˈtreʒər/

accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

wainscottingnounUS /ˈweɪnskɔːtɪŋ/

a wainscoted wall (or wainscoted walls collectively)

From this reading So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.

wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading So he started on his own account tapping walls and investigating loose boards and hollow wainscotting.

WEpronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He had come to the Plough probably with the object of ascertaining who we were, and had departed as quietly as he had come.

wieldingverbUS /ˈwiːldɪŋ/

-ing form of “wield” — have and exercise

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Like ourselves, he felt certain that, the treasure being hidden somewhere in that house, diligent search would have its reward.

Chapter 24 of The Tickencote Treasure by William Le Queux holds 137 sentences, grouped into 28 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 24 of The Tickencote Treasure contain?

Chapter 24 holds 137 sentences of The Tickencote Treasure, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 24 of The Tickencote Treasure by William Le Queux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 137 sentences, grouped into 28 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 24 of The Tickencote Treasure?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 24 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 24 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 Tickencote Treasure

Common questions about reading The Tickencote Treasure by William Le Queux on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Tickencote Treasure?

Yes. All 4766 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #57885 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Tickencote Treasure is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #57885, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Tickencote Treasure take to read?

About 397 minutes of reading across 954 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Tickencote Treasure section by section

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

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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Tickencote Treasure

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

Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tickencote Treasure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Secret: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tickencote Treasure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Service: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tickencote Treasure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Temptress: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tickencote Treasure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXIV

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