Chapter 26 of Of High Descent is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of Of High Descent is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?" "Yes," she said softly, "I will have faith in you and wait." "I thank you," he said gravely. "Now tell me more about Harry." "There is very little to tell," replied Leslie.
Chapter 26 of Of High Descent is here in full — 408 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.
a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny
From this reading “"Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"”
in a grave and sober manner
From this reading “"I thank you," he said gravely.”
annoy continually or chronically
From this reading “"Now tell me more about Harry."”
with low volume
From this reading “"Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"”
with low volume
From this reading “"Yes," she said softly, "I will have faith in you and wait."”
express in speech
From this reading “"Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"”
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading “"I thank you," he said gravely.”
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading “"Yes," she said softly, "I will have faith in you and wait."”
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.
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "Now tell me more about Harry."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
in a grave and sober manner
From this reading "I thank you," he said gravely.
annoy continually or chronically
From this reading "Now tell me more about Harry."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There is very little to tell," replied Leslie.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "There is very little to tell," replied Leslie.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "Now tell me more about Harry."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now tell me more about Harry."
with low volume
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "There is very little to tell," replied Leslie.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Yes," she said softly, "I will have faith in you and wait."
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
with low volume
From this reading "Yes," she said softly, "I will have faith in you and wait."
express in speech
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
express in words
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading "I thank you," he said gravely.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There is very little to tell," replied Leslie.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "There is very little to tell," replied Leslie.
precisely as stated
From this reading "There is very little to tell," replied Leslie.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading "Yes," she said softly, "I will have faith in you and wait."
at the time that
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Yes," she said softly, "I will have faith in you and wait."
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes," she said softly, "I will have faith in you and wait."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Can you not have faith in me," he said quietly, "and believe when I tell you that it is better that I should not speak?"
Chapter 26 of Of High Descent by George Manville Fenn holds 408 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 26 holds 408 sentences of Of High Descent, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of Of High Descent by George Manville Fenn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 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 26 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 Of High Descent by George Manville Fenn on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 10632 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34246 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34246, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2127 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Of High Descent section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Of High Descent 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 Of High Descent, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
