Chapter 8 of Duffels is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Duffels is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow? How much shall it be? Double? Ask anything. I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
Chapter 8 of Duffels is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading “I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.”
fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading “"Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow?”
increase twofold
From this reading “Double?”
a boy or man
From this reading “"Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow?”
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading “I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.”
show unwillingness towards
From this reading “I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.”
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading “"Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow?”
plural of “widow” — a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading “"Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow?”
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 I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
spiritual being attendant upon God
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
any thing at all
From this reading Ask anything.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Ask anything.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading How much shall it be?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading "Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow?
increase twofold
From this reading Double?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow?
a boy or man
From this reading "Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow?
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow?
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How much shall it be?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading How much shall it be?
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow?
to a great degree or extent
From this reading How much shall it be?
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow?
show unwillingness towards
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading How much shall it be?
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading "Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
plural of “widow” — a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading "Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow?
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading "Got more widows without coal than usual, eh, old fellow?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I can't refuse the half of my fortune to such a good angel as you are, Vail.
Chapter 8 of Duffels by Edward Eggleston holds 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 406 sentences of Duffels, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Duffels by Edward Eggleston exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 Duffels by Edward Eggleston on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3324 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25661 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25661, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 277 minutes of reading across 665 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Duffels section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of Duffels 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 Duffels, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
