Chapter 2 of Clue of the Silken Ladder is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Clue of the Silken Ladder is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny. "I simply can't do high pressure work without high pay. Shall we make it fifty a week?" "So you're holding me up?" "Certainly not," chuckled Penny.
Chapter 2 of Clue of the Silken Ladder is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
past form of “chuckle” — laugh quietly or with restraint
From this reading “"Certainly not," chuckled Penny.”
the state of owing something (especially money)
From this reading “"Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.”
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading “Shall we make it fifty a week?"”
United States financier who negotiated a treaty with the Soviet Union banning tests of nuclear weapons (1891-1986)
From this reading “"Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.”
the act of retaining something
From this reading “"So you're holding me up?"”
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading “"Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.”
the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit)
From this reading “"I simply can't do high pressure work without high pay.”
past form of “protest” — utter words of protest
From this reading “"Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.”
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.
be careful, prudent, or watchful
In this reading “"Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.”
In this reading “"I simply can't do high pressure work without high pay.”
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 Shall we make it fifty a week?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I simply can't do high pressure work without high pay.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading "Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "Certainly not," chuckled Penny.
past form of “chuckle” — laugh quietly or with restraint
From this reading "Certainly not," chuckled Penny.
the state of owing something (especially money)
From this reading "Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "I simply can't do high pressure work without high pay.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading Shall we make it fifty a week?"
United States financier who negotiated a treaty with the Soviet Union banning tests of nuclear weapons (1891-1986)
From this reading "Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading "I simply can't do high pressure work without high pay.
the act of retaining something
From this reading "So you're holding me up?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I simply can't do high pressure work without high pay.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Shall we make it fifty a week?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.
and nothing more
From this reading "Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.
engage in
From this reading Shall we make it fifty a week?"
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "So you're holding me up?"
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Certainly not," chuckled Penny.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading "I simply can't do high pressure work without high pay.
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading "Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.
the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit)
From this reading "I simply can't do high pressure work without high pay.
past form of “protest” — utter words of protest
From this reading "Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading Shall we make it fifty a week?"
and nothing more
From this reading "I simply can't do high pressure work without high pay.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "So you're holding me up?"
carry out
From this reading "Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "So you're holding me up?"
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Shall we make it fifty a week?"
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Shall we make it fifty a week?"
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading "I simply can't do high pressure work without high pay.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading "I simply can't do high pressure work without high pay.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "Why, that would just take care of my debt to Jake Harriman," protested Penny.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "So you're holding me up?"
Chapter 2 of Clue of the Silken Ladder by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 413 sentences of Clue of the Silken Ladder, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Clue of the Silken Ladder by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 Clue of the Silken Ladder by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3711 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34591 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34591, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 309 minutes of reading across 743 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Clue of the Silken Ladder section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Clue of the Silken Ladder 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 Clue of the Silken Ladder, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
