Chapter 2 of In the Mahdi's Grasp is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of In the Mahdi's Grasp is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Oh, nonsense; that thing's wrong. Ever so much slow." "Don't you insult my clock, my boy," said the doctor. "It keeps as good time as any one in London. It's you who are too fast.
Chapter 2 of In the Mahdi's Grasp is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 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.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading “"Don't you insult my clock, my boy," said the doctor.”
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading “It's you who are too fast.”
a rude expression intended to offend or hurt
From this reading “"Don't you insult my clock, my boy," said the doctor.”
plural of “keep” — the financial means whereby one lives
From this reading “"It keeps as good time as any one in London.”
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading “"It keeps as good time as any one in London.”
a message that seems to convey no meaning
From this reading “"Oh, nonsense; that thing's wrong.”
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading “Ever so much slow."”
possessive form of “thing” — a special situation
From this reading “"Oh, nonsense; that thing's wrong.”
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.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "It keeps as good time as any one in London.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It's you who are too fast.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "It keeps as good time as any one in London.
a youthful male person
From this reading "Don't you insult my clock, my boy," said the doctor.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading "Don't you insult my clock, my boy," said the doctor.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading "Don't you insult my clock, my boy," said the doctor.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Don't you insult my clock, my boy," said the doctor.
at any time
From this reading Ever so much slow."
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading It's you who are too fast.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "It keeps as good time as any one in London.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "It keeps as good time as any one in London.
a rude expression intended to offend or hurt
From this reading "Don't you insult my clock, my boy," said the doctor.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It keeps as good time as any one in London.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's you who are too fast.
plural of “keep” — the financial means whereby one lives
From this reading "It keeps as good time as any one in London.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading "It keeps as good time as any one in London.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Ever so much slow."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Don't you insult my clock, my boy," said the doctor.
a message that seems to convey no meaning
From this reading "Oh, nonsense; that thing's wrong.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, nonsense; that thing's wrong.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "It keeps as good time as any one in London.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Don't you insult my clock, my boy," said the doctor.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading Ever so much slow."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Ever so much slow."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Oh, nonsense; that thing's wrong.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Don't you insult my clock, my boy," said the doctor.
possessive form of “thing” — a special situation
From this reading "Oh, nonsense; that thing's wrong.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "It keeps as good time as any one in London.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading It's you who are too fast.
which person or people
From this reading It's you who are too fast.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading "Oh, nonsense; that thing's wrong.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Don't you insult my clock, my boy," said the doctor.
Chapter 2 of In the Mahdi's Grasp by George Manville Fenn holds 410 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 2 holds 410 sentences of In the Mahdi's Grasp, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of In the Mahdi's Grasp by George Manville Fenn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 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 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 In the Mahdi's Grasp by George Manville Fenn on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6197 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24926 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24926, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 516 minutes of reading across 1240 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through In the Mahdi's Grasp section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of In the Mahdi's Grasp 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 In the Mahdi's Grasp, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
