Chapter 2 of Perkins, the Fakeer is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Perkins, the Fakeer is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Does--ah--Mr. Stevens--monsieur--seem to be--ah--quiet?" I asked, eagerly. "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use. "But Jenkins is talking, talking, talking all the time, madame." "Damn him for a confounded cockney gas-bag!"
Chapter 2 of Perkins, the Fakeer is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
the act of arranging and adapting a piece of music
From this reading “"I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.”
a native of the east end of London
From this reading “"Damn him for a confounded cockney gas-bag!"”
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading “"Damn him for a confounded cockney gas-bag!"”
used as expletives
From this reading “"Damn him for a confounded cockney gas-bag!"”
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading “I asked, eagerly.”
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading “"I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.”
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading “"Does--ah--Mr. Stevens--monsieur--seem to be--ah--quiet?"”
United States psychologist and psychophysicist who proposed Stevens' power law to replace Fechner's law (1906-1973)
From this reading “"Does--ah--Mr. Stevens--monsieur--seem to be--ah--quiet?"”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Does--ah--Mr. Stevens--monsieur--seem to be--ah--quiet?"
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading "But Jenkins is talking, talking, talking all the time, madame."
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.
the act of arranging and adapting a piece of music
From this reading "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I asked, eagerly.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Does--ah--Mr. Stevens--monsieur--seem to be--ah--quiet?"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But Jenkins is talking, talking, talking all the time, madame."
a native of the east end of London
From this reading "Damn him for a confounded cockney gas-bag!"
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading "Damn him for a confounded cockney gas-bag!"
used as expletives
From this reading "Damn him for a confounded cockney gas-bag!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Does--ah--Mr. Stevens--monsieur--seem to be--ah--quiet?"
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading I asked, eagerly.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Damn him for a confounded cockney gas-bag!"
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Damn him for a confounded cockney gas-bag!"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I asked, eagerly.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "But Jenkins is talking, talking, talking all the time, madame."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But Jenkins is talking, talking, talking all the time, madame."
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading "Does--ah--Mr. Stevens--monsieur--seem to be--ah--quiet?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Does--ah--Mr. Stevens--monsieur--seem to be--ah--quiet?"
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading "Does--ah--Mr. Stevens--monsieur--seem to be--ah--quiet?"
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "Does--ah--Mr. Stevens--monsieur--seem to be--ah--quiet?"
a light shade of blue
From this reading "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.
United States psychologist and psychophysicist who proposed Stevens' power law to replace Fechner's law (1906-1973)
From this reading "Does--ah--Mr. Stevens--monsieur--seem to be--ah--quiet?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading "But Jenkins is talking, talking, talking all the time, madame."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "But Jenkins is talking, talking, talking all the time, madame."
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "But Jenkins is talking, talking, talking all the time, madame."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Does--ah--Mr. Stevens--monsieur--seem to be--ah--quiet?"
the act of using
From this reading "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "I didn’t hear his voice, madame," answered Suzanne, arranging a sky-blue morning-gown for my use.
Chapter 2 of Perkins, the Fakeer by Edward S. (Edward Sims) Van Zile holds 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 430 sentences of Perkins, the Fakeer, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Perkins, the Fakeer by Edward S. (Edward Sims) Van Zile exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 Perkins, the Fakeer by Edward S. (Edward Sims) Van Zile on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4161 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55123 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #55123, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 346 minutes of reading across 833 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Perkins, the Fakeer section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Perkins, the Fakeer 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 Perkins, the Fakeer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
