Chapter 4 of The Wiles of the Wicked is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Wiles of the Wicked is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address. If I knew where he lived I could easily find out his real name. "That is, unfortunately, impossible," he answered blandly. "I am staying at an hotel. I do not practise in London."
Chapter 4 of The Wiles of the Wicked is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
in a bland manner
From this reading “"That is, unfortunately, impossible," he answered blandly.”
-ing form of “obtain” — come into possession of
From this reading “"I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.”
engage in a rehearsal
From this reading “I do not practise in London."”
like better; value more highly
From this reading “"I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.”
-ing form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “"I am staying at an hotel.”
possessive form of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading “"I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.”
the branch of medical science that treats disease or injury by operative procedures
From this reading “"I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.”
by bad luck
From this reading “"That is, unfortunately, impossible," he answered blandly.”
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.
establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study
In this reading “If I knew where he lived I could easily find out his real name.”
In this reading “"I am staying at an hotel.”
reside temporarily
In this reading “"I am staying at an hotel.”
In this reading “"I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.”
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.
speak to
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am staying at an hotel.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "I am staying at an hotel.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "That is, unfortunately, impossible," he answered blandly.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "I am staying at an hotel.
in a bland manner
From this reading "That is, unfortunately, impossible," he answered blandly.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading If I knew where he lived I could easily find out his real name.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do not practise in London."
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading If I knew where he lived I could easily find out his real name.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading If I knew where he lived I could easily find out his real name.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If I knew where he lived I could easily find out his real name.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading If I knew where he lived I could easily find out his real name.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading "I am staying at an hotel.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If I knew where he lived I could easily find out his real name.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading "That is, unfortunately, impossible," he answered blandly.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I do not practise in London."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "That is, unfortunately, impossible," he answered blandly.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading If I knew where he lived I could easily find out his real name.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading If I knew where he lived I could easily find out his real name.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading I do not practise in London."
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading If I knew where he lived I could easily find out his real name.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I do not practise in London."
-ing form of “obtain” — come into possession of
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading If I knew where he lived I could easily find out his real name.
engage in a rehearsal
From this reading I do not practise in London."
like better; value more highly
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading If I knew where he lived I could easily find out his real name.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
-ing form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading "I am staying at an hotel.
possessive form of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
the branch of medical science that treats disease or injury by operative procedures
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "That is, unfortunately, impossible," he answered blandly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
by bad luck
From this reading "That is, unfortunately, impossible," he answered blandly.
in or at the place that
From this reading If I knew where he lived I could easily find out his real name.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I should prefer to come to your surgery," I said, with the idea of obtaining some knowledge of the stranger's address.
Chapter 4 of The Wiles of the Wicked by William Le Queux holds 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 4 holds 412 sentences of The Wiles of the Wicked, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Wiles of the Wicked by William Le Queux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 4 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 Wiles of the Wicked by William Le Queux on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4856 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40831 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40831, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 404 minutes of reading across 972 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Wiles of the Wicked section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Wiles of the Wicked 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 Wiles of the Wicked, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
