Chapter 2 of Shapes that Haunt the Dusk is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Shapes that Haunt the Dusk is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Calista sat still for a moment, then she got up weakly. "Doesn't look much like a wedding-dress now," she murmured. "It's no use doing anything to it. It's done for." She wiped the inkstand on a stained flounce before setting it on the table.
Chapter 2 of Shapes that Haunt the Dusk is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 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.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading “"It's no use doing anything to it.”
walk emphatically
From this reading “She wiped the inkstand on a stained flounce before setting it on the table.”
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading “"Doesn't look much like a wedding-dress now," she murmured.”
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading “She wiped the inkstand on a stained flounce before setting it on the table.”
marked or dyed or discolored with foreign matter
From this reading “She wiped the inkstand on a stained flounce before setting it on the table.”
the act of using
From this reading “"It's no use doing anything to it.”
in a weak or feeble manner or to a minor degree
From this reading “Calista sat still for a moment, then she got up weakly.”
past form of “wipe” — rub with a circular motion
From this reading “She wiped the inkstand on a stained flounce before setting it on the table.”
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 Calista sat still for a moment, then she got up weakly.
any thing at all
From this reading "It's no use doing anything to it.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading She wiped the inkstand on a stained flounce before setting it on the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Calista sat still for a moment, then she got up weakly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Doesn't look much like a wedding-dress now," she murmured.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading "It's no use doing anything to it.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading It's done for."
walk emphatically
From this reading She wiped the inkstand on a stained flounce before setting it on the table.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Calista sat still for a moment, then she got up weakly.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Calista sat still for a moment, then she got up weakly.
a small well holding writing ink into which a pen can be dipped
From this reading She wiped the inkstand on a stained flounce before setting it on the table.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It's no use doing anything to it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's no use doing anything to it.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "Doesn't look much like a wedding-dress now," she murmured.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "Doesn't look much like a wedding-dress now," she murmured.
a particular point in time
From this reading Calista sat still for a moment, then she got up weakly.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "Doesn't look much like a wedding-dress now," she murmured.
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading "Doesn't look much like a wedding-dress now," she murmured.
not any; not one
From this reading "It's no use doing anything to it.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Doesn't look much like a wedding-dress now," she murmured.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She wiped the inkstand on a stained flounce before setting it on the table.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Calista sat still for a moment, then she got up weakly.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading She wiped the inkstand on a stained flounce before setting it on the table.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Calista sat still for a moment, then she got up weakly.
marked or dyed or discolored with foreign matter
From this reading She wiped the inkstand on a stained flounce before setting it on the table.
not in physical motion
From this reading Calista sat still for a moment, then she got up weakly.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading She wiped the inkstand on a stained flounce before setting it on the table.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She wiped the inkstand on a stained flounce before setting it on the table.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Calista sat still for a moment, then she got up weakly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "It's no use doing anything to it.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Calista sat still for a moment, then she got up weakly.
the act of using
From this reading "It's no use doing anything to it.
in a weak or feeble manner or to a minor degree
From this reading Calista sat still for a moment, then she got up weakly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Doesn't look much like a wedding-dress now," she murmured.
past form of “wipe” — rub with a circular motion
From this reading She wiped the inkstand on a stained flounce before setting it on the table.
Chapter 2 of Shapes that Haunt the Dusk by William Dean [Editor] Howells holds 434 sentences, grouped into 87 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 434 sentences of Shapes that Haunt the Dusk, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Shapes that Haunt the Dusk by William Dean [Editor] Howells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 434 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 Shapes that Haunt the Dusk by William Dean [Editor] Howells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3377 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27352 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #27352, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 281 minutes of reading across 676 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Shapes that Haunt the Dusk section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of Shapes that Haunt the Dusk 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 Shapes that Haunt the Dusk, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
