Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3)
A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3)

Chapter II · His Story

Chapter II of A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3), “His Story,” is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3)
Context Illustration Reading 1/49 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
|This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.
All that is, is best.
You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.
Be it so.
My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.
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 Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3)

Chapter II · His Story

Chapter II of A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3), “His Story,” is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/49 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
|This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.
Line 2
All that is, is best.
/ɔːl ðæt ɪz ɪz best/
Line 3
You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.
/juː seɪ juː θɪŋk ɪt ədˈvaɪzəbəl ðæt ðer ʃʊd biː æn ˈækjərət ˈrɪtən rəˈkɔːrd ʌv ɔːl ðæt pæst bɪˈtwiːn jɔːr ˈfæməli ənd ˌmaɪˈself ɑːn ðə ˈfaɪnəl deɪ ʌv ˈpɑːrtɪŋ ɪn ˈɔːrdər ðæt noʊ ˈfɜːrðər ˈkɑːndəkt ʌv maɪn meɪ biː ˌmɪskənˈstruːd ɔːr mɪsˈdʒʌdʒd/
Line 4
Be it so.
/biː ɪt soʊ/
Line 5
My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.

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.

accurate adjective US /ˈækjərət/

conforming exactly or almost exactly to fact or to a standard or performing with total accuracy

From this reading “You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.”

advisable adjective US /ədˈvaɪzəbəl/

worthy of being recommended or suggested; prudent or wise

From this reading “You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.”

disgrace verb US /dɪsˈɡreɪs/

bring shame or dishonor upon

From this reading “My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.”

Max noun US /mæks/

street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate

From this reading “My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.”

misconstrued verb US /ˌmɪskənˈstruːd/

past form of “misconstrue” — interpret in the wrong way

From this reading “You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.”

misjudged verb US /mɪsˈdʒʌdʒd/

past form of “misjudge” — judge incorrectly

From this reading “You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.”

parting noun US /ˈpɑːrtɪŋ/

the act of departing politely

From this reading “You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.”

preserving verb US /prəˈzɜːrvɪŋ/

-ing form of “preserve” — keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last

From this reading “My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.”

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.

passed between verb + particle counted as “pass between”

In this reading “You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.”

in order preposition + noun

in a state of proper readiness or preparation or arrangement

In this reading “You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.”

All words in this reading · 67

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.

accurateadjectiveUS /ˈækjərət/

conforming exactly or almost exactly to fact or to a standard or performing with total accuracy

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

advisableadjectiveUS /ədˈvaɪzəbəl/

worthy of being recommended or suggested; prudent or wise

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 All that is, is best.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading All that is, is best.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

conductverbUS /ˈkɑːndəkt/

direct the course of; manage or control

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

disgraceverbUS /dɪsˈɡreɪs/

bring shame or dishonor upon

From this reading My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

finaladjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəl/

occurring at or forming an end or termination

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.

furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.

how

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

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/

the literary culture

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

lovedadjectiveUS /lʌvd/

held dear

From this reading My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.

MaxnounUS /mæks/

street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate

From this reading My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

misconstruedverbUS /ˌmɪskənˈstruːd/

past form of “misconstrue” — interpret in the wrong way

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

misjudgedverbUS /mɪsˈdʒʌdʒd/

past form of “misjudge” — judge incorrectly

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

partingnounUS /ˈpɑːrtɪŋ/

the act of departing politely

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

preservingverbUS /prəˈzɜːrvɪŋ/

-ing form of “preserve” — keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last

From this reading My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.

probablyadverbUS /ˈprɑːbəbliː/

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

reachverbUS /riːtʃ/

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

recordnounUS /rəˈkɔːrd/

anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Be it so.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading All that is, is best.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.

Urquhart

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

From this reading My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading My good name is worth preserving; for it must never be any disgrace to you that Max Urquhart loved you.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading |This is the last, probably, of those "letters never sent," which may reach you one day; when or how, we know not.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You say you think it advisable that there should be an accurate written record of all that passed between your family and myself on the final day of parting, in order that no further conduct of mine may be misconstrued or misjudged.

Chapter 2 of A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3) by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik holds 245 sentences, grouped into 49 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 Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3) contain?

Chapter 2 holds 245 sentences of A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3), unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3) by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 245 sentences, grouped into 49 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 Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3)?

Work through the 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 49 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 Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3)

Common questions about reading A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3) by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3)?

Yes. All 2944 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48483 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #48483, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3) take to read?

About 245 minutes of reading across 589 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3) section by section

How to work through A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3) 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 Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3)

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Weeks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Months
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Indeed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Since
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Life for a Life, Volume 3 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.