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Whispers at Dawn
Whispers at Dawn

Chapter XXIV · A Strange Victory

Chapter XXIV of Whispers at Dawn, “A Strange Victory,” is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.
Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:
"_You are the Whisperer._" "I am."
The slim, gray-haired man before her smiled.
"May I come in?"
0:00 / 0:00
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Whispers at Dawn

Chapter XXIV · A Strange Victory

Chapter XXIV of Whispers at Dawn, “A Strange Victory,” is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.
/əˈperəntli ɪt ɪz truː ðæt ˈʌndər ˈsɜːrtən ˈsɜːrkəmstænsəz æt liːst wʌn kæn ˈrekəɡnaɪz ə ˈpɜːrsən baɪ hɪz ˈwɪspər/
Line 2
Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:
Line 3
"_You are the Whisperer._" "I am."
/juː ɑːr ðə ˈwɪspərɜːr aɪ æm/
Line 4
The slim, gray-haired man before her smiled.
Line 5
"May I come in?"
/meɪ aɪ kʌm ɪn/

Learner Dictionary

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.

Christmas noun US /ˈkrɪsməs/

period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6

From this reading “Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:”

hesitation noun US /ˌhezəˈteɪʃən/

indecision in speech or action

From this reading “Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:”

Merry adjective US /ˈmeri/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading “Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:”

moment's noun US /ˈmoʊmənts/

possessive form of “moment” — a particular point in time

From this reading “Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:”

recognize verb US /ˈrekəɡnaɪz/

accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority

From this reading “Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.”

slim adjective US /slɪm/

being of delicate or slender build

From this reading “The slim, gray-haired man before her smiled.”

whisper noun US /ˈwɪspər/

speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords

From this reading “Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.”

Whisperer noun US /ˈwɪspərɜːr/

one who speaks in a whisper

From this reading “"_You are the Whisperer._" "I am."”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

moment's hesitation noun + noun counted as “moment hesitation”

In this reading “Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:”

gray-haired man adjective + noun

In this reading “The slim, gray-haired man before her smiled.”

second time noun + noun

In this reading “Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:”

certain circumstances adjective + noun

In this reading “Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.”

upon hearing preposition + noun

In this reading “Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:”

for a second preposition + article + noun counted as “for … second”

In this reading “Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:”

without a moment's preposition + article + noun counted as “without … moment”

In this reading “Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:”

come in verb + particle

to come or go into

In this reading “"May I come in?"”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "_You are the Whisperer._" "I am."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

ApparentlyadverbUS /əˈperəntli/

from appearances alone

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading "_You are the Whisperer._" "I am."

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The slim, gray-haired man before her smiled.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

ChristmasnounUS /ˈkrɪsməs/

period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

circumstancesnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəmstænsəz/

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "May I come in?"

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

GracenounUS /ɡreɪs/

(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

gray-hairedadjective

showing characteristics of age, especially having grey or white hair

From this reading The slim, gray-haired man before her smiled.

hearingnounUS /ˈhiːrɪŋ/

(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

hesitationnounUS /ˌhezəˈteɪʃən/

indecision in speech or action

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "_You are the Whisperer._" "I am."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading "May I come in?"

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

Krowl

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The slim, gray-haired man before her smiled.

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "May I come in?"

MerryadjectiveUS /ˈmeri/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

messagenounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

moment'snounUS /ˈmoʊmənts/

possessive form of “moment” — a particular point in time

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

openingnounUS /ˈoʊpənɪŋ/

an open or empty space in or between things

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

personnounUS /ˈpɜːrsən/

a human being

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

recognizeverbUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪz/

accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

slimadjectiveUS /slɪm/

being of delicate or slender build

From this reading The slim, gray-haired man before her smiled.

smiledverbUS /smaɪld/

past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading The slim, gray-haired man before her smiled.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

whispernounUS /ˈwɪspər/

speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords

From this reading Apparently it is true that, under certain circumstances at least, one can recognize a person by his whisper.

whisperedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪspərd/

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

WhisperernounUS /ˈwɪspərɜːr/

one who speaks in a whisper

From this reading "_You are the Whisperer._" "I am."

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Certain it is that Grace Krowl, upon opening her door for a second time that night and upon hearing the whispered message, "Merry Christmas, Grace Krowl," said without a moment's hesitation:

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "_You are the Whisperer._" "I am."

Chapter 24 of Whispers at Dawn by Roy J. (Roy Judson) Snell holds 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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.

What does chapter 24 of Whispers at Dawn contain?

Chapter 24 holds 152 sentences of Whispers at Dawn, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 24 of Whispers at Dawn by Roy J. (Roy Judson) Snell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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.

How do I study chapter 24 of Whispers at Dawn?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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.

Can chapter 24 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 24 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.

Questions about reading Whispers at Dawn

Common questions about reading Whispers at Dawn by Roy J. (Roy Judson) Snell on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Whispers at Dawn?

Yes. All 3942 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43677 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Whispers at Dawn is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #43677, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Whispers at Dawn take to read?

About 328 minutes of reading across 789 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Whispers at Dawn section by section

How to work through Whispers at Dawn section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of Whispers at Dawn to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Whispers at Dawn

Words and structures a reader meets early in Whispers at Dawn, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Reilly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Whispers at Dawn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chicago
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Whispers at Dawn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fantastic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Whispers at Dawn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Happenings
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Whispers at Dawn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.