Chapter 20 of Three People is here in full — 250 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Three People is here in full — 250 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MIDNIGHT WORK. "Ting-a-ling-ling," said Mr. Stephens' door-bell just before midnight. Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment. Who could be ringing his bell at that late hour? Presently he stepped out into the hall, slipped the bolt and admitted Theodore Mallery.
Chapter 20 of Three People is here in full — 250 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/50 · 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.
inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading “Presently he stepped out into the hall, slipped the bolt and admitted Theodore Mallery.”
a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading “Presently he stepped out into the hall, slipped the bolt and admitted Theodore Mallery.”
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.”
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading “MIDNIGHT WORK.”
the sound of a bell ringing
From this reading “Who could be ringing his bell at that late hour?”
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading “Presently he stepped out into the hall, slipped the bolt and admitted Theodore Mallery.”
plural of “stephen” — English writer (1832-1904)
From this reading “"Ting-a-ling-ling," said Mr. Stephens' door-bell just before midnight.”
reading carefully with intent to remember
From this reading “Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.”
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 Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading Presently he stepped out into the hall, slipped the bolt and admitted Theodore Mallery.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Who could be ringing his bell at that late hour?
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Who could be ringing his bell at that late hour?
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "Ting-a-ling-ling," said Mr. Stephens' door-bell just before midnight.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading Who could be ringing his bell at that late hour?
a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading Presently he stepped out into the hall, slipped the bolt and admitted Theodore Mallery.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Who could be ringing his bell at that late hour?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ting-a-ling-ling," said Mr. Stephens' door-bell just before midnight.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading Presently he stepped out into the hall, slipped the bolt and admitted Theodore Mallery.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Who could be ringing his bell at that late hour?
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Who could be ringing his bell at that late hour?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Presently he stepped out into the hall, slipped the bolt and admitted Theodore Mallery.
and nothing more
From this reading "Ting-a-ling-ling," said Mr. Stephens' door-bell just before midnight.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading Who could be ringing his bell at that late hour?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Presently he stepped out into the hall, slipped the bolt and admitted Theodore Mallery.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading MIDNIGHT WORK.
a particular point in time
From this reading Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Ting-a-ling-ling," said Mr. Stephens' door-bell just before midnight.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Presently he stepped out into the hall, slipped the bolt and admitted Theodore Mallery.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
in the near future
From this reading Presently he stepped out into the hall, slipped the bolt and admitted Theodore Mallery.
the sound of a bell ringing
From this reading Who could be ringing his bell at that late hour?
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Ting-a-ling-ling," said Mr. Stephens' door-bell just before midnight.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading Presently he stepped out into the hall, slipped the bolt and admitted Theodore Mallery.
plural of “stephen” — English writer (1832-1904)
From this reading "Ting-a-ling-ling," said Mr. Stephens' door-bell just before midnight.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading Presently he stepped out into the hall, slipped the bolt and admitted Theodore Mallery.
reading carefully with intent to remember
From this reading Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Who could be ringing his bell at that late hour?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Presently he stepped out into the hall, slipped the bolt and admitted Theodore Mallery.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ting-a-ling-ling," said Mr. Stephens' door-bell just before midnight.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Mr. Stephens glanced up in surprise from the paper which he was studying and hesitated a moment.
which person or people
From this reading Who could be ringing his bell at that late hour?
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading MIDNIGHT WORK.
Chapter 20 of Three People by Pansy holds 250 sentences, grouped into 50 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 20 holds 250 sentences of Three People, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Three People by Pansy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 250 sentences, grouped into 50 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 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 50 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 20 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 Three People by Pansy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4835 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20808 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20808, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 402 minutes of reading across 967 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Three People section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of Three People 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 Three People, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
