Chapter 2 of Stephen Archer, and Other Tales is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Stephen Archer, and Other Tales is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The next morning Alice gave her mistress warning. It was quite unexpected, and she looked at her aghast. "Alice," she said at length, "you're never going to leave me at such a time!" "I'm sorry it don't suit you, ma'am, but I must." "Why, Alice?
Chapter 2 of Stephen Archer, and Other Tales is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/19 · 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.
struck with fear, dread, or consternation
From this reading “It was quite unexpected, and she looked at her aghast.”
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading “"Alice," she said at length, "you're never going to leave me at such a time!"”
a woman of refinement
From this reading “"I'm sorry it don't suit you, ma'am, but I must."”
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading “The next morning Alice gave her mistress warning.”
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading “"I'm sorry it don't suit you, ma'am, but I must."”
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading “"I'm sorry it don't suit you, ma'am, but I must."”
not expected or anticipated
From this reading “It was quite unexpected, and she looked at her aghast.”
a message informing of danger
From this reading “The next morning Alice gave her mistress warning.”
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 "Alice," she said at length, "you're never going to leave me at such a time!"
struck with fear, dread, or consternation
From this reading It was quite unexpected, and she looked at her aghast.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The next morning Alice gave her mistress warning.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was quite unexpected, and she looked at her aghast.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was quite unexpected, and she looked at her aghast.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "I'm sorry it don't suit you, ma'am, but I must."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm sorry it don't suit you, ma'am, but I must."
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The next morning Alice gave her mistress warning.
the act of departing
From this reading "Alice," she said at length, "you're never going to leave me at such a time!"
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The next morning Alice gave her mistress warning.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I'm sorry it don't suit you, ma'am, but I must."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm sorry it don't suit you, ma'am, but I must."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was quite unexpected, and she looked at her aghast.
go away from a place
From this reading "Alice," she said at length, "you're never going to leave me at such a time!"
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading "Alice," she said at length, "you're never going to leave me at such a time!"
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading It was quite unexpected, and she looked at her aghast.
a woman of refinement
From this reading "I'm sorry it don't suit you, ma'am, but I must."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Alice," she said at length, "you're never going to leave me at such a time!"
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading The next morning Alice gave her mistress warning.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The next morning Alice gave her mistress warning.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "I'm sorry it don't suit you, ma'am, but I must."
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Alice," she said at length, "you're never going to leave me at such a time!"
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The next morning Alice gave her mistress warning.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading It was quite unexpected, and she looked at her aghast.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Alice," she said at length, "you're never going to leave me at such a time!"
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was quite unexpected, and she looked at her aghast.
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading "I'm sorry it don't suit you, ma'am, but I must."
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "Alice," she said at length, "you're never going to leave me at such a time!"
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading "I'm sorry it don't suit you, ma'am, but I must."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The next morning Alice gave her mistress warning.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "Alice," she said at length, "you're never going to leave me at such a time!"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Alice," she said at length, "you're never going to leave me at such a time!"
not expected or anticipated
From this reading It was quite unexpected, and she looked at her aghast.
a message informing of danger
From this reading The next morning Alice gave her mistress warning.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was quite unexpected, and she looked at her aghast.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, Alice?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I'm sorry it don't suit you, ma'am, but I must."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Alice," she said at length, "you're never going to leave me at such a time!"
Chapter 2 of Stephen Archer, and Other Tales by George MacDonald holds 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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 97 sentences of Stephen Archer, and Other Tales, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Stephen Archer, and Other Tales by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 20 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 Stephen Archer, and Other Tales by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Stephen Archer, and Other Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Stephen Archer, and Other Tales 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 Stephen Archer, and Other Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
