Chapter II of For the Defence, “The Ashantee Devil-Stick,” is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter II of For the Defence, “The Ashantee Devil-Stick,” is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Life in death!" repeated Maurice, in puzzled tones. "And what do you mean by that mystical jargon, doctor?" "Ah, my friend, there comes in the riddle." "Paralysis?" suggested David, in a jesting manner, but with some seriousness. "No; that is not the answer."
Chapter II of For the Defence, “The Ashantee Devil-Stick,” is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/33 · 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.
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading “"Paralysis?" suggested David, in a jesting manner, but with some seriousness.”
a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves)
From this reading “"And what do you mean by that mystical jargon, doctor?"”
relating to or characteristic of mysticism
From this reading “"And what do you mean by that mystical jargon, doctor?"”
loss of the ability to move a body part
From this reading “"Paralysis?" suggested David, in a jesting manner, but with some seriousness.”
filled with bewilderment
From this reading “"Life in death!" repeated Maurice, in puzzled tones.”
pierce with many holes
From this reading “"Ah, my friend, there comes in the riddle."”
an earnest and sincere feeling
From this reading “"Paralysis?" suggested David, in a jesting manner, but with some seriousness.”
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading “"Life in death!" repeated Maurice, in puzzled tones.”
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 “"Life in death!" repeated Maurice, in puzzled tones.”
In this reading “"And what do you mean by that mystical jargon, doctor?"”
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 "Paralysis?" suggested David, in a jesting manner, but with some seriousness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ah, my friend, there comes in the riddle."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And what do you mean by that mystical jargon, doctor?"
react verbally
From this reading "No; that is not the answer."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Paralysis?" suggested David, in a jesting manner, but with some seriousness.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "And what do you mean by that mystical jargon, doctor?"
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading "Ah, my friend, there comes in the riddle."
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading "Paralysis?" suggested David, in a jesting manner, but with some seriousness.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading "Life in death!" repeated Maurice, in puzzled tones.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "And what do you mean by that mystical jargon, doctor?"
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading "And what do you mean by that mystical jargon, doctor?"
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading "Ah, my friend, there comes in the riddle."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Life in death!" repeated Maurice, in puzzled tones.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "No; that is not the answer."
a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves)
From this reading "And what do you mean by that mystical jargon, doctor?"
characterized by jokes and good humor
From this reading "Paralysis?" suggested David, in a jesting manner, but with some seriousness.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading "Life in death!" repeated Maurice, in puzzled tones.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "Paralysis?" suggested David, in a jesting manner, but with some seriousness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Life in death!" repeated Maurice, in puzzled tones.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "And what do you mean by that mystical jargon, doctor?"
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Ah, my friend, there comes in the riddle."
relating to or characteristic of mysticism
From this reading "And what do you mean by that mystical jargon, doctor?"
not any; not one
From this reading "No; that is not the answer."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "No; that is not the answer."
loss of the ability to move a body part
From this reading "Paralysis?" suggested David, in a jesting manner, but with some seriousness.
filled with bewilderment
From this reading "Life in death!" repeated Maurice, in puzzled tones.
recurring again and again
From this reading "Life in death!" repeated Maurice, in puzzled tones.
pierce with many holes
From this reading "Ah, my friend, there comes in the riddle."
an earnest and sincere feeling
From this reading "Paralysis?" suggested David, in a jesting manner, but with some seriousness.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "Paralysis?" suggested David, in a jesting manner, but with some seriousness.
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading "Paralysis?" suggested David, in a jesting manner, but with some seriousness.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "And what do you mean by that mystical jargon, doctor?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Ah, my friend, there comes in the riddle."
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Ah, my friend, there comes in the riddle."
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading "Life in death!" repeated Maurice, in puzzled tones.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "And what do you mean by that mystical jargon, doctor?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Paralysis?" suggested David, in a jesting manner, but with some seriousness.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "And what do you mean by that mystical jargon, doctor?"
Chapter 2 of For the Defence by Fergus Hume holds 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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 168 sentences of For the Defence, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of For the Defence by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 34 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 For the Defence by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4062 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55420 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #55420, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 338 minutes of reading across 813 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through For the Defence section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of For the Defence 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 For the Defence, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
