Chapter 2 of Amusement Only is here in full — 250 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Amusement Only is here in full — 250 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
SOUGHT. The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps. In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted. On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease. That casual observer happened to come strolling by.
Chapter 2 of Amusement Only is here in full — 250 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/50 · 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.
a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading “In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.”
a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
From this reading “In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.”
marked by blithe unconcern
From this reading “On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.”
move gently or carefully
From this reading “On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.”
past form of “linger” — remain present although waning or gradually dying
From this reading “The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.”
a person who becomes aware (of things or events) through the senses
From this reading “On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.”
-ing form of “stroll” — walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
From this reading “That casual observer happened to come strolling by.”
made heavy or weighted down with weariness
From this reading “In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.”
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 “On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.”
In this reading “In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.”
temporarily
In this reading “The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.”
In this reading “The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.”
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 The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading That casual observer happened to come strolling by.
a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
From this reading In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.
marked by blithe unconcern
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading That casual observer happened to come strolling by.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
the appearance conveyed by a person's face
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.
a British peer of the highest rank
From this reading The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.
move gently or carefully
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.
(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading That casual observer happened to come strolling by.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.
past form of “linger” — remain present although waning or gradually dying
From this reading The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
a particular point in time
From this reading The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
a person who becomes aware (of things or events) through the senses
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.
that is looked for
From this reading SOUGHT.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.
-ing form of “stroll” — walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
From this reading That casual observer happened to come strolling by.
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Duke of Datchet, coming out of the bank, lingered for a moment on the steps.
in or at that place or location
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading On his countenance there was an expression which to a casual observer might have suggested that his Grace was not completely at his ease.
made heavy or weighted down with weariness
From this reading In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading In one hand he carried a canvas bag, which seemed well weighted.
Chapter 2 of Amusement Only by Richard Marsh holds 250 sentences, grouped into 50 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 250 sentences of Amusement Only, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Amusement Only by Richard Marsh exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 250 sentences, grouped into 50 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 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 50 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.
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Yes. All 6699 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38188 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #38188, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 558 minutes of reading across 1340 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Amusement Only section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of Amusement Only 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 Amusement Only, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
