Chapter II
Chapter 2 of A Duel in the Dark is here in full — 487 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BETSY. Well, sir, what may you want? GREEN. Hush! don't speak so loud. Is your mistress in her room?
A Duel in the Dark
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of A Duel in the Dark is here in full — 487 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
BETSY.
Well,
sir,
what
may
you
want?
GREEN.
Hush!
don't
speak
so
loud.
Is
your
mistress
in
her
room?
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
A Duel in the Dark
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of A Duel in the Dark is here in full — 487 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/97 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
BETSY.
Line 2
Well,
sir,
what
may
you
want?
/wel sɜːr wʌt meɪ juː wɑːnt/
Line 3
GREEN.
/ɡriːn/
Line 4
Hush!
don't
speak
so
loud.
Line 5
Is
your
mistress
in
her
room?
/ɪz jɔːr ˈmɪstrəs ɪn hɜːr ruːm/
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.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading “GREEN.”
become quiet or still; fall silent
From this reading “Hush! don't speak so loud.”
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading “Hush! don't speak so loud.”
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading “Is your mistress in her room?”
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading “Is your mistress in her room?”
term of address for a man
From this reading “Well, sir, what may you want?”
express in speech
From this reading “Hush! don't speak so loud.”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “Well, sir, what may you want?”
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.
All words in this reading · 19
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.
BETSY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BETSY.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hush! don't speak so loud.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading GREEN.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Is your mistress in her room?
become quiet or still; fall silent
From this reading Hush! don't speak so loud.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Is your mistress in her room?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Is your mistress in her room?
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading Hush! don't speak so loud.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Well, sir, what may you want?
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading Is your mistress in her room?
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Is your mistress in her room?
term of address for a man
From this reading Well, sir, what may you want?
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Hush! don't speak so loud.
express in speech
From this reading Hush! don't speak so loud.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading Well, sir, what may you want?
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Well, sir, what may you want?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Well, sir, what may you want?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Well, sir, what may you want?
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Is your mistress in her room?
Chapter 2 of A Duel in the Dark by J. Stirling (Joseph Stirling) Coyne holds 487 sentences, grouped into 98 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 2 of A Duel in the Dark contain?
Chapter 2 holds 487 sentences of A Duel in the Dark, unabridged, divided into 98 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of A Duel in the Dark by J. Stirling (Joseph Stirling) Coyne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 487 sentences, grouped into 98 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 2 of A Duel in the Dark?
Work through the 98 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 98 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 2 be read aloud to me?
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.
Questions about reading A Duel in the Dark
Common questions about reading A Duel in the Dark by J. Stirling (Joseph Stirling) Coyne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of A Duel in the Dark?
Yes. All 977 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50012 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of A Duel in the Dark is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #50012, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does A Duel in the Dark take to read?
About 81 minutes of reading across 196 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read A Duel in the Dark section by section
How to work through A Duel in the Dark section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
-
Open a chapter
Choose one of the 2 chapters of A Duel in the Dark to begin.
-
Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
-
Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in A Duel in the Dark
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Duel in the Dark, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Wife's
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Duel in the Dark; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Daughter
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Duel in the Dark; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Binks
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Duel in the Dark; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Bagman
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Duel in the Dark; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.