Chapter 24 of Half A Chance is here in full — 61 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIV
Chapter 24 of Half A Chance is here in full — 61 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed. When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse. "I wouldn't!" What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett. "Unless--" "You wouldn't dare!"
Chapter 24 of Half A Chance is here in full — 61 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/12 · 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.
without seeing or looking
From this reading “When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.”
past form of “gleam” — be shiny, as if wet
From this reading “A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.”
enclosed in the same envelope or package
From this reading “What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.”
plural of “jaw” — the part of the skull of a vertebrate that frames the mouth and holds the teeth
From this reading “A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.”
plural of “possibility” — a future prospect or potential
From this reading “What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.”
the length of a line segment between the center and circumference of a circle or sphere
From this reading “What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.”
English writer (1672-1729)
From this reading “What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.”
in a vague way
From this reading “What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.”
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 A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
without seeing or looking
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
a state at a particular time
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading "Unless--" "You wouldn't dare!"
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
opinion or judgment
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.
past form of “gleam” — be shiny, as if wet
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I wouldn't!"
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
an instinctive motive
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.
enclosed in the same envelope or package
From this reading What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.
plural of “jaw” — the part of the skull of a vertebrate that frames the mouth and holds the teeth
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
a form of address for a man
From this reading What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
plural of “possibility” — a future prospect or potential
From this reading What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.
at breakneck speed
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
the length of a line segment between the center and circumference of a circle or sphere
From this reading What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
English writer (1672-1729)
From this reading What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
except if; if not
From this reading "Unless--" "You wouldn't dare!"
in a vague way
From this reading What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A CONDITION Lord Ronsdale hesitated; his thin jaws were set so that the bones of the cheek showed; his eyes gleamed.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What John Steele held vaguely included, in the radius of its possibilities, Mr. Gillett.
at the time that
From this reading When he did move it was as if blindly, precipitately, to carry out his first impulse.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I wouldn't!"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Unless--" "You wouldn't dare!"
Chapter 24 of Half A Chance by Frederic Stewart Isham holds 61 sentences, grouped into 13 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 24 holds 61 sentences of Half A Chance, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 24 of Half A Chance by Frederic Stewart Isham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 61 sentences, grouped into 13 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 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 13 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 24 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 Half A Chance by Frederic Stewart Isham on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4101 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14249 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14249, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 341 minutes of reading across 821 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Half A Chance section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Half A Chance 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 Half A Chance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
