Chapter 2 of A Diplomatic Adventure is here in full — 473 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of A Diplomatic Adventure is here in full — 473 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"And the small man, the colonel--" "Oh, yes--shade of Dumas! He may pass for Aramis." I laughed. "By the way," I added, "he is one of the best blades in France." "Is he?
Chapter 2 of A Diplomatic Adventure is here in full — 473 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/94 · 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.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading “"By the way," I added, "he is one of the best blades in France."”
plural of “blade” — especially a leaf of grass or the broad portion of a leaf as distinct from the petiole
From this reading “"By the way," I added, "he is one of the best blades in France."”
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading “"And the small man, the colonel--" "Oh, yes--shade of Dumas!”
French writer remembered for his swashbuckling historical tales (1802-1870)
From this reading “"And the small man, the colonel--" "Oh, yes--shade of Dumas!”
a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe
From this reading “"By the way," I added, "he is one of the best blades in France."”
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading “I laughed.”
go across or through
From this reading “He may pass for Aramis."”
relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
From this reading “"And the small man, the colonel--" "Oh, yes--shade of Dumas!”
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.
introducing a different topic
In this reading “"By the way," I added, "he is one of the best blades in France."”
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.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading "By the way," I added, "he is one of the best blades in France."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And the small man, the colonel--" "Oh, yes--shade of Dumas!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He may pass for Aramis."
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading "By the way," I added, "he is one of the best blades in France."
plural of “blade” — especially a leaf of grass or the broad portion of a leaf as distinct from the petiole
From this reading "By the way," I added, "he is one of the best blades in France."
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "By the way," I added, "he is one of the best blades in France."
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading "And the small man, the colonel--" "Oh, yes--shade of Dumas!
French writer remembered for his swashbuckling historical tales (1802-1870)
From this reading "And the small man, the colonel--" "Oh, yes--shade of Dumas!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He may pass for Aramis."
a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe
From this reading "By the way," I added, "he is one of the best blades in France."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He may pass for Aramis."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I laughed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "By the way," I added, "he is one of the best blades in France."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "By the way," I added, "he is one of the best blades in France."
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading I laughed.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "And the small man, the colonel--" "Oh, yes--shade of Dumas!
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading He may pass for Aramis."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "And the small man, the colonel--" "Oh, yes--shade of Dumas!
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "And the small man, the colonel--" "Oh, yes--shade of Dumas!
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "By the way," I added, "he is one of the best blades in France."
go across or through
From this reading He may pass for Aramis."
relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
From this reading "And the small man, the colonel--" "Oh, yes--shade of Dumas!
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "And the small man, the colonel--" "Oh, yes--shade of Dumas!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "And the small man, the colonel--" "Oh, yes--shade of Dumas!
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "By the way," I added, "he is one of the best blades in France."
an affirmative
From this reading "And the small man, the colonel--" "Oh, yes--shade of Dumas!
Chapter 2 of A Diplomatic Adventure by S. Weir (Silas Weir) Mitchell holds 473 sentences, grouped into 95 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 2 holds 473 sentences of A Diplomatic Adventure, unabridged, divided into 95 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of A Diplomatic Adventure by S. Weir (Silas Weir) Mitchell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 473 sentences, grouped into 95 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 95 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 95 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 2 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 A Diplomatic Adventure by S. Weir (Silas Weir) Mitchell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1897 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30585 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30585, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 158 minutes of reading across 380 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Diplomatic Adventure section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of A Diplomatic Adventure 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 A Diplomatic Adventure, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
