Chapter 2 of A Ladder of Swords is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of A Ladder of Swords is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He did not hesitate. “What is best is. I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.” “Thou art the best lover in all the world.” “I hope to make a better husband.
Chapter 2 of A Ladder of Swords is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading ““Thou art the best lover in all the world.””
pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “He did not hesitate.”
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading ““I hope to make a better husband.”
a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
From this reading ““Thou art the best lover in all the world.””
in other respects or ways
From this reading “I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.””
operate an airplane
From this reading “I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.””
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading ““Thou art the best lover in all the world.””
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading “I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.””
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.
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “I hope to make a better husband.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading “Thou art the best lover in all the world.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading “Thou art the best lover in all the world.”
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading “What is best is.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “I hope to make a better husband.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not hesitate.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He did not hesitate.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading He did not hesitate.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading “I hope to make a better husband.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading “I hope to make a better husband.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What is best is.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
From this reading “Thou art the best lover in all the world.”
engage in
From this reading “I hope to make a better husband.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
not any; not one
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not hesitate.
in other respects or ways
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
operate an airplane
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Thou art the best lover in all the world.”
in or at that place or location
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading “Thou art the best lover in all the world.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What is best is.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading “Thou art the best lover in all the world.”
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading I might do otherwise if there were no Angèle in my life to pilot my heart, but that were worse for me.”
Chapter 2 of A Ladder of Swords by Gilbert Parker holds 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 400 sentences of A Ladder of Swords, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of A Ladder of Swords by Gilbert Parker exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 Ladder of Swords by Gilbert Parker on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2520 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41303 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #41303, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 210 minutes of reading across 504 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Ladder of Swords section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of A Ladder of Swords 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 Ladder of Swords, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
