Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1
Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1 is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.
She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.
To this was presently added the word that De la Foret had been beheaded.
But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.
Thither she went in fear from her refuge at Rozel, and was admitted to the Comtesse.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1 is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.
Line 2
She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.
Line 3
To this was presently added the word that De la Foret had been beheaded.
Line 4
But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.
Line 5
Thither she went in fear from her refuge at Rozel, and was admitted to the Comtesse.

Learner Dictionary

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.

alternate adjective US /ˈɔːltərnət/

every second one of a series

From this reading “Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.”

beheaded adjective US /bɪˈhedɪd/

having had the head cut off

From this reading “To this was presently added the word that De la Foret had been beheaded.”

kinsman noun US /ˈkɪnzmæn/

a male relative

From this reading “But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.”

Montgomery noun US /mɑːntˈɡʌmri/

Canadian novelist (1874-1942)

From this reading “She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.”

phases noun US /ˈfeɪzəz/

plural of “phase” — any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading “Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.”

refugees noun US /ˈrefjuːdʒiz/

plural of “refugee” — an exile who flees for safety

From this reading “She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.”

rumour noun US /ˈruːmər/

gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth

From this reading “She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.”

sheltered adjective US /ˈʃeltərd/

protected from danger or bad weather

From this reading “But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.”

All words in this reading · 63

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

addedverbUS /ˈædəd/

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading To this was presently added the word that De la Foret had been beheaded.

admittedverbUS /ədˈmɪtɪd/

inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading Thither she went in fear from her refuge at Rozel, and was admitted to the Comtesse.

alternateadjectiveUS /ˈɔːltərnət/

every second one of a series

From this reading Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.

Angele

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

beheadedadjectiveUS /bɪˈhedɪd/

having had the head cut off

From this reading To this was presently added the word that De la Foret had been beheaded.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

Camisard

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

CastlenounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

Comtesse

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

DenounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

despairnounUS /dɪˈsper/

a state in which all hope is lost or absent

From this reading Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading Thither she went in fear from her refuge at Rozel, and was admitted to the Comtesse.

Foret

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Thither she went in fear from her refuge at Rozel, and was admitted to the Comtesse.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.

GovernornounUS /ˈɡʌvərnər/

the head of a state government

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.

Hugh

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Thither she went in fear from her refuge at Rozel, and was admitted to the Comtesse.

kinsmannounUS /ˈkɪnzmæn/

a male relative

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

lanounUS /lɑː/

a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

learnedadjectiveUS /lɜːrnd/

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.

MeanwhileadverbUS /ˈmiːnwaɪl/

at the same time but in another place

From this reading Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.

Mont

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

MontgomerynounUS /mɑːntˈɡʌmri/

Canadian novelist (1874-1942)

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

Orgueil

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

Pawlett

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

phasesnounUS /ˈfeɪzəz/

plural of “phase” — any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.

presentlyadverbUS /ˈprezəntli/

in the near future

From this reading To this was presently added the word that De la Foret had been beheaded.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

refugenounUS /ˈrefjuːdʒ/

a safe place

From this reading Thither she went in fear from her refuge at Rozel, and was admitted to the Comtesse.

refugeesnounUS /ˈrefjuːdʒiz/

plural of “refugee” — an exile who flees for safety

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

Rozel

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Thither she went in fear from her refuge at Rozel, and was admitted to the Comtesse.

rumournounUS /ˈruːmər/

gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

shelteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃeltərd/

protected from danger or bad weather

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading But one day she learned that the Comtesse de Montgomery was sheltered by the Governor, Sir Hugh Pawlett, her kinsman, at Mont Orgueil Castle.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading To this was presently added the word that De la Foret had been beheaded.

ThitheradverbUS /ˈðɪθɜːr/

an old word meaning “to that place”

From this reading Thither she went in fear from her refuge at Rozel, and was admitted to the Comtesse.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Meanwhile Angele had gone through many phases of alternate hope and despair.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Thither she went in fear from her refuge at Rozel, and was admitted to the Comtesse.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading She knew that Montgomery the Camisard was dead, and a rumour, carried by refugees, reached her that De la Foret had been with him to the end.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading To this was presently added the word that De la Foret had been beheaded.

Chapter 2 of Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1 by Gilbert Parker holds 122 sentences, grouped into 25 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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.

What does chapter 2 of Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1 contain?

Chapter 2 holds 122 sentences of Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1 by Gilbert Parker exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 122 sentences, grouped into 25 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.

How do I study chapter 2 of Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1

Common questions about reading Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1 by Gilbert Parker on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1?

Yes. All 770 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6250 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6250, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1 take to read?

About 64 minutes of reading across 154 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1 section by section

How to work through Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1 to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1

Words and structures a reader meets early in Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Southampton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Search
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Register
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Walloon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Michel and Angele [A Ladder of Swords] — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.