Chapter 17 of The White Room is here in full — 360 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of The White Room is here in full — 360 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance. The meaning of this was explained in his conversation. "I've done my best, sir, and there's nothing to be discovered." "You mean as regards the murder of this woman Brand?" asked Walter. "What else would I mean!" replied Derrick dismally.
Chapter 17 of The White Room is here in full — 360 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/72 · 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 name given to a product or service
From this reading “"You mean as regards the murder of this woman Brand?" asked Walter.”
a framework erected over an oil well to allow drill tubes to be raised and lowered
From this reading “THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.”
in a cheerless manner
From this reading “"What else would I mean!" replied Derrick dismally.”
directed downward
From this reading “THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.”
a high ranking police officer
From this reading “THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.”
possessive form of “professor” — someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading “THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.”
plural of “regard” — (usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading “"You mean as regards the murder of this woman Brand?" asked Walter.”
produce a sound as if from a trumpet
From this reading “THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.”
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.
a playing card in the suit that has been declared trumps
In this reading “THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.”
In this reading “"You mean as regards the murder of this woman Brand?" asked Walter.”
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 THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "I've done my best, sir, and there's nothing to be discovered."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "You mean as regards the murder of this woman Brand?" asked Walter.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "You mean as regards the murder of this woman Brand?" asked Walter.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I've done my best, sir, and there's nothing to be discovered."
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading "I've done my best, sir, and there's nothing to be discovered."
a name given to a product or service
From this reading "You mean as regards the murder of this woman Brand?" asked Walter.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
one of a set of small pieces of stiff paper marked in various ways and used for playing games or for telling fortunes
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.
From this reading The meaning of this was explained in his conversation.
the appearance conveyed by a person's face
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
a framework erected over an oil well to allow drill tubes to be raised and lowered
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading "I've done my best, sir, and there's nothing to be discovered."
in a cheerless manner
From this reading "What else would I mean!" replied Derrick dismally.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading "I've done my best, sir, and there's nothing to be discovered."
directed downward
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What else would I mean!" replied Derrick dismally.
past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading The meaning of this was explained in his conversation.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The meaning of this was explained in his conversation.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "What else would I mean!" replied Derrick dismally.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I've done my best, sir, and there's nothing to be discovered."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The meaning of this was explained in his conversation.
a high ranking police officer
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "You mean as regards the murder of this woman Brand?" asked Walter.
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading The meaning of this was explained in his conversation.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading "You mean as regards the murder of this woman Brand?" asked Walter.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I've done my best, sir, and there's nothing to be discovered."
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "I've done my best, sir, and there's nothing to be discovered."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
possessive form of “professor” — someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
on the contrary
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
plural of “regard” — (usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading "You mean as regards the murder of this woman Brand?" asked Walter.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "What else would I mean!" replied Derrick dismally.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
term of address for a man
From this reading "I've done my best, sir, and there's nothing to be discovered."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I've done my best, sir, and there's nothing to be discovered."
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The meaning of this was explained in his conversation.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
produce a sound as if from a trumpet
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading "You mean as regards the murder of this woman Brand?" asked Walter.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The meaning of this was explained in his conversation.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What else would I mean!" replied Derrick dismally.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE PROFESSOR'S TRUMP CARD Inspector Derrick called to see Fane with rather a downcast expression of countenance.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading "You mean as regards the murder of this woman Brand?" asked Walter.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "What else would I mean!" replied Derrick dismally.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You mean as regards the murder of this woman Brand?" asked Walter.
Chapter 17 of The White Room by Fergus Hume holds 360 sentences, grouped into 72 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 17 holds 360 sentences of The White Room, unabridged, divided into 72 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of The White Room by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 360 sentences, grouped into 72 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 72 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 72 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 17 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 White Room by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6660 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55101 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #55101, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 555 minutes of reading across 1332 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The White Room section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of The White Room 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 White Room, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
