Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II
A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II

Chapter XII · On a Black Sheep

Chapter XII of A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II, “On a Black Sheep,” is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.
“Oh, it’s only old Playdell,” said Archie.
“You know old Playdell, of course.”
“I’m not so certain that I do,” said Harold.
“Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II

Chapter XII · On a Black Sheep

Chapter XII of A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II, “On a Black Sheep,” is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.
Line 2
“Oh, it’s only old Playdell,” said Archie.
Line 3
“You know old Playdell, of course.”
Line 4
“I’m not so certain that I do,” said Harold.
Line 5
“Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

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.

announced adjective US /əˈnaʊnst/

declared publicly; made widely known

From this reading “BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.”

bishop noun US /ˈbɪʃəp/

a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ

From this reading ““Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.”

Church noun US /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading ““Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.”

completed adjective US /kəmˈpliːtəd/

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading “BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.”

confidences noun US /ˈkɑːnfədənsɪz/

plural of “confidence” — freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading “BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.”

doing verb US /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading ““Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.”

kicked verb US /kɪkt/

past form of “kick” — drive or propel with the foot

From this reading ““Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.”

visitor noun US /ˈvɪzɪtər/

someone who visits

From this reading “BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.”

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.

of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading ““You know old Playdell, of course.””

kicked out verb + adjective counted as “kick out”

force to leave or move out

In this reading ““Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.”

All words in this reading · 43

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 BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.

announcedadjectiveUS /əˈnaʊnst/

declared publicly; made widely known

From this reading BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.

Archie

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

From this reading BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.

BEFOREprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.

bishopnounUS /ˈbɪʃəp/

a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading “I’m not so certain that I do,” said Harold.

ChurchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

completedadjectiveUS /kəmˈpliːtəd/

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.

confidencesnounUS /ˈkɑːnfədənsɪz/

plural of “confidence” — freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading “You know old Playdell, of course.”

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “I’m not so certain that I do,” said Harold.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.

Harold

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

From this reading “I’m not so certain that I do,” said Harold.

he's

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

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “I’m not so certain that I do,” said Harold.

I'm

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

From this reading “I’m not so certain that I do,” said Harold.

it's

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

From this reading “Oh, it’s only old Playdell,” said Archie.

kickedverbUS /kɪkt/

past form of “kick” — drive or propel with the foot

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading “You know old Playdell, of course.”

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “I’m not so certain that I do,” said Harold.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “You know old Playdell, of course.”

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading “Oh, it’s only old Playdell,” said Archie.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading “Oh, it’s only old Playdell,” said Archie.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading “Oh, it’s only old Playdell,” said Archie.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

Playdell

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

From this reading “Oh, it’s only old Playdell,” said Archie.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Oh, it’s only old Playdell,” said Archie.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading “I’m not so certain that I do,” said Harold.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “I’m not so certain that I do,” said Harold.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

visitornounUS /ˈvɪzɪtər/

someone who visits

From this reading BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading BEFORE Archie had completed his confidences, a visitor was announced.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading “Oh, he’s a good old soul who was kicked out of the Church by the bishop for doing something or other.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You know old Playdell, of course.”

Chapter 12 of A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II by Frank Frankfort Moore holds 122 sentences, grouped into 25 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 12 of A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II contain?

Chapter 12 holds 122 sentences of A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II by Frank Frankfort Moore exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 122 sentences, grouped into 25 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 12 of A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II

Common questions about reading A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II by Frank Frankfort Moore on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II?

Yes. All 1780 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51945 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #51945, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II take to read?

About 148 minutes of reading across 356 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II section by section

How to work through A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II 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 A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Still
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pondering
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Aspects
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Question
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Gray Eye or So. In Three Volumes—Volume II; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.