Chapter 8 of A Second Coming is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of A Second Coming is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur: 'What talk is this? What blasphemy does this man utter? Who is this mountebank to whom he speaks?' But the Stranger continued to look at the man who had come out from the crowd.
Chapter 8 of A Second Coming is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 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.
blasphemous language (expressing disrespect for God or for something sacred)
From this reading “What blasphemy does this man utter?”
move restlessly
From this reading “THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:”
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading “THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:”
walk by dragging one's feet
From this reading “THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:”
third-person singular of “speak” — express in speech
From this reading “Who is this mountebank to whom he speaks?'”
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading “THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:”
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading “But the Stranger continued to look at the man who had come out from the crowd.”
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading “What blasphemy does this man utter?”
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.
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “But the Stranger continued to look at the man who had come out from the crowd.”
appear or become visible; make a showing
In this reading “But the Stranger continued to look at the man who had come out from the crowd.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But the Stranger continued to look at the man who had come out from the crowd.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
blasphemous language (expressing disrespect for God or for something sacred)
From this reading What blasphemy does this man utter?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the Stranger continued to look at the man who had come out from the crowd.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But the Stranger continued to look at the man who had come out from the crowd.
without stop or interruption
From this reading But the Stranger continued to look at the man who had come out from the crowd.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading But the Stranger continued to look at the man who had come out from the crowd.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What blasphemy does this man utter?
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
move restlessly
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading But the Stranger continued to look at the man who had come out from the crowd.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But the Stranger continued to look at the man who had come out from the crowd.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Who is this mountebank to whom he speaks?'
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading 'What talk is this?
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading But the Stranger continued to look at the man who had come out from the crowd.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading What blasphemy does this man utter?
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
a flamboyant deceiver; one who attracts customers with tricks or jokes
From this reading Who is this mountebank to whom he speaks?'
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
and nothing more
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading But the Stranger continued to look at the man who had come out from the crowd.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
walk by dragging one's feet
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
third-person singular of “speak” — express in speech
From this reading Who is this mountebank to whom he speaks?'
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading But the Stranger continued to look at the man who had come out from the crowd.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading 'What talk is this?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading 'What talk is this?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
up to a particular time
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading What blasphemy does this man utter?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
used to ask for information about something
From this reading 'What talk is this?
which person or people
From this reading Who is this mountebank to whom he speaks?'
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Who is this mountebank to whom he speaks?'
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
the words that are spoken
From this reading THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT Stillness followed the man's words until the people began to fidget, and to shuffle with their feet, and to murmur:
Chapter 8 of A Second Coming by Richard Marsh holds 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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 8 holds 215 sentences of A Second Coming, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of A Second Coming by Richard Marsh exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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 8 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 Second Coming by Richard Marsh on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4506 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38156 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #38156, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 375 minutes of reading across 902 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Second Coming section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of A Second Coming 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 Second Coming, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
