Chapter 31 of The Vanished Messenger is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXI
Chapter 31 of The Vanished Messenger is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Hamel set down the lamp upon the table. He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten. The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her. “Do you know the time, Mrs. Cox?” he asked. “You ought to have been home hours ago.
Chapter 31 of The Vanished Messenger is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 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.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading “He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.”
either of two related enzymes that control the production of prostaglandins and are blocked by aspirin
From this reading ““Do you know the time, Mrs. Cox?” he asked.”
furniture with drawers for keeping clothes
From this reading “He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.”
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading “The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.”
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading “He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.”
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading “Hamel set down the lamp upon the table.”
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading “The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.”
one of four equal parts
From this reading “He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.”
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 He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.
in the past
From this reading “You ought to have been home hours ago.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Do you know the time, Mrs. Cox?” he asked.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “You ought to have been home hours ago.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.
either of two related enzymes that control the production of prostaglandins and are blocked by aspirin
From this reading “Do you know the time, Mrs. Cox?” he asked.
having your composure disturbed
From this reading The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Do you know the time, Mrs. Cox?” he asked.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Hamel set down the lamp upon the table.
furniture with drawers for keeping clothes
From this reading He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hamel set down the lamp upon the table.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading “You ought to have been home hours ago.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading “You ought to have been home hours ago.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “Do you know the time, Mrs. Cox?” he asked.
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading Hamel set down the lamp upon the table.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading “Do you know the time, Mrs. Cox?” he asked.
not any; not one
From this reading The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading “You ought to have been home hours ago.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.
one of four equal parts
From this reading He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Hamel set down the lamp upon the table.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading Hamel set down the lamp upon the table.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Hamel set down the lamp upon the table.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “Do you know the time, Mrs. Cox?” he asked.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Hamel set down the lamp upon the table.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He glanced at the little clock upon the dresser; it was a quarter past ten.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The woman had observed his entrance, although it seemed in no way to have discomposed her.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Do you know the time, Mrs. Cox?” he asked.
Chapter 31 of The Vanished Messenger by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim holds 216 sentences, grouped into 44 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 31 holds 216 sentences of The Vanished Messenger, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 31 of The Vanished Messenger by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 216 sentences, grouped into 44 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 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 44 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 31 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 Vanished Messenger by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6995 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1699 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1699, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 582 minutes of reading across 1399 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Vanished Messenger section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Vanished Messenger 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 Vanished Messenger, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
