Chapter 2 of A waif's progress is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of A waif's progress is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“The last day, and almost the last hour! I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it. “Sorry is a weak word to express what I feel!” is the heartfelt answer. “Where should I have been now, I should like to know, but for you and Mr. Glanville?” “Where indeed!”
Chapter 2 of A waif's progress is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
give expression to
From this reading ““Sorry is a weak word to express what I feel!” is the heartfelt answer.”
pleasing and appropriate manner or style (especially manner or style of expression)
From this reading “I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.”
sincerely earnest
From this reading ““Sorry is a weak word to express what I feel!” is the heartfelt answer.”
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading “I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.”
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading “I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.”
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading “I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.”
in an exhaustive manner
From this reading “I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.”
wanting in physical strength
From this reading ““Sorry is a weak word to express what I feel!” is the heartfelt answer.”
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.
In this reading ““The last day, and almost the last hour!”
(New Testament) day at the end of time following Armageddon when God will decree the fates of all individual humans according to the good and evil of their earthly lives
In this reading ““The last day, and almost the last hour!”
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 “Sorry is a weak word to express what I feel!” is the heartfelt answer.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading “The last day, and almost the last hour!
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “The last day, and almost the last hour!
react verbally
From this reading “Sorry is a weak word to express what I feel!” is the heartfelt answer.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “Where should I have been now, I should like to know, but for you and Mr. Glanville?”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Where should I have been now, I should like to know, but for you and Mr. Glanville?”
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading “The last day, and almost the last hour!
give expression to
From this reading “Sorry is a weak word to express what I feel!” is the heartfelt answer.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading “Sorry is a weak word to express what I feel!” is the heartfelt answer.
pleasing and appropriate manner or style (especially manner or style of expression)
From this reading I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Where should I have been now, I should like to know, but for you and Mr. Glanville?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Where should I have been now, I should like to know, but for you and Mr. Glanville?”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Where should I have been now, I should like to know, but for you and Mr. Glanville?”
sincerely earnest
From this reading “Sorry is a weak word to express what I feel!” is the heartfelt answer.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading “The last day, and almost the last hour!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading “Where indeed!”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Sorry is a weak word to express what I feel!” is the heartfelt answer.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “Where should I have been now, I should like to know, but for you and Mr. Glanville?”
immediately past
From this reading “The last day, and almost the last hour!
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “Where should I have been now, I should like to know, but for you and Mr. Glanville?”
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.
a form of address for a man
From this reading “Where should I have been now, I should like to know, but for you and Mr. Glanville?”
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Where should I have been now, I should like to know, but for you and Mr. Glanville?”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “Where should I have been now, I should like to know, but for you and Mr. Glanville?”
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “The last day, and almost the last hour!
in an exhaustive manner
From this reading I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Sorry is a weak word to express what I feel!” is the heartfelt answer.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I am thoroughly sorry,” said Felicity, and she was nearly sure that she meant it.
wanting in physical strength
From this reading “Sorry is a weak word to express what I feel!” is the heartfelt answer.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Sorry is a weak word to express what I feel!” is the heartfelt answer.
in or at the place that
From this reading “Where should I have been now, I should like to know, but for you and Mr. Glanville?”
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading “Sorry is a weak word to express what I feel!” is the heartfelt answer.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Where should I have been now, I should like to know, but for you and Mr. Glanville?”
Chapter 2 of A waif's progress by Rhoda Broughton holds 125 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.
Chapter 2 holds 125 sentences of A waif's progress, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of A waif's progress by Rhoda Broughton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 125 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.
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.
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 waif's progress by Rhoda Broughton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4331 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73654 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #73654, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 360 minutes of reading across 867 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A waif's progress section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 35 chapters of A waif's progress 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 waif's progress, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
