Chapter 9 of Under Lock and Key: A Story. Volume 1 (of 3) is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Under Lock and Key: A Story. Volume 1 (of 3) is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AT THE "GOLDEN GRIFFIN." No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept. Could it be possible that Platzoff was killed? With considerable difficulty Ducie managed to wrench open the smashed door. Then he called the Russian by name; but there was no answer.
Chapter 9 of Under Lock and Key: A Story. Volume 1 (of 3) is here in full — 135 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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 “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading “No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.”
past form of “emanate” — proceed or issue forth, as from a source
From this reading “No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.”
winged monster with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion
From this reading “AT THE "GOLDEN GRIFFIN."”
an utterance expressing pain or disapproval
From this reading “No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.”
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading “No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.”
a native or inhabitant of Russia
From this reading “Then he called the Russian by name; but there was no answer.”
very drunk
From this reading “With considerable difficulty Ducie managed to wrench open the smashed door.”
twist or pull violently or suddenly, especially so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attached or from where it originates
From this reading “With considerable difficulty Ducie managed to wrench open the smashed door.”
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.
In this reading “With considerable difficulty Ducie managed to wrench open the smashed door.”
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.
react verbally
From this reading Then he called the Russian by name; but there was no answer.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AT THE "GOLDEN GRIFFIN."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Could it be possible that Platzoff was killed?
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Then he called the Russian by name; but there was no answer.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Then he called the Russian by name; but there was no answer.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Then he called the Russian by name; but there was no answer.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
a railcar where passengers ride
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading With considerable difficulty Ducie managed to wrench open the smashed door.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Could it be possible that Platzoff was killed?
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading With considerable difficulty Ducie managed to wrench open the smashed door.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading With considerable difficulty Ducie managed to wrench open the smashed door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
past form of “emanate” — proceed or issue forth, as from a source
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading AT THE "GOLDEN GRIFFIN."
winged monster with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion
From this reading AT THE "GOLDEN GRIFFIN."
an utterance expressing pain or disapproval
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then he called the Russian by name; but there was no answer.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Could it be possible that Platzoff was killed?
and nothing more
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading Could it be possible that Platzoff was killed?
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading With considerable difficulty Ducie managed to wrench open the smashed door.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Then he called the Russian by name; but there was no answer.
not any; not one
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading With considerable difficulty Ducie managed to wrench open the smashed door.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Could it be possible that Platzoff was killed?
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading Could it be possible that Platzoff was killed?
a native or inhabitant of Russia
From this reading Then he called the Russian by name; but there was no answer.
very drunk
From this reading With considerable difficulty Ducie managed to wrench open the smashed door.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AT THE "GOLDEN GRIFFIN."
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he called the Russian by name; but there was no answer.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Then he called the Russian by name; but there was no answer.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading With considerable difficulty Ducie managed to wrench open the smashed door.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Could it be possible that Platzoff was killed?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading No groan or cry emanated from that portion of the broken carriage out of which Captain Ducie had just crept.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With considerable difficulty Ducie managed to wrench open the smashed door.
twist or pull violently or suddenly, especially so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attached or from where it originates
From this reading With considerable difficulty Ducie managed to wrench open the smashed door.
Chapter 9 of Under Lock and Key: A Story. Volume 1 (of 3) by T. W. (Thomas Wilkinson) Speight holds 135 sentences, grouped into 27 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 9 holds 135 sentences of Under Lock and Key: A Story. Volume 1 (of 3), unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Under Lock and Key: A Story. Volume 1 (of 3) by T. W. (Thomas Wilkinson) Speight exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 135 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 9 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 Under Lock and Key: A Story. Volume 1 (of 3) by T. W. (Thomas Wilkinson) Speight on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2563 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #57294 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #57294, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 213 minutes of reading across 513 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Under Lock and Key: A Story. Volume 1 (of 3) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Under Lock and Key: A Story. Volume 1 (of 3) 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 Under Lock and Key: A Story. Volume 1 (of 3), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
