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Stories in Light and Shadow
Stories in Light and Shadow

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Stories in Light and Shadow is here in full — 164 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.
Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.
But Trudschen looked grave.
Ah!
He has new friends, this Karl of ours.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Stories in Light and Shadow

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Stories in Light and Shadow is here in full — 164 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.
Line 2
Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.
Line 3
But Trudschen looked grave.
Line 4
Ah!
Line 5
He has new friends, this Karl of ours.

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.

attitude noun US /ˈætətuːd/

a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways

From this reading “But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.”

Believing noun US /bɪˈliːvɪŋ/

the cognitive process that leads to convictions

From this reading “Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.”

consul noun US /ˈkɑːnsəl/

a diplomat appointed by a government to protect its commercial interests and help its citizens in a foreign country

From this reading “But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.”

corporal noun US /ˈkɔːrpərəl/

a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines

From this reading “Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.”

exhibited verb US /ɪɡˈzɪbətəd/

past form of “exhibit” — show an attribute, property, knowledge, or skill

From this reading “But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.”

ours pronoun US /ˈaʊərz/

the one or ones belonging to us

From this reading “He has new friends, this Karl of ours.”

partly adverb US /ˈpɑːrtli/

to some extent; in some degree; not wholly

From this reading “Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.”

taxed verb US /tækst/

past form of “tax” — levy a tax on

From this reading “Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.”

All words in this reading · 48

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.

Ah

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

From this reading “Ah!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

attitudenounUS /ˈætətuːd/

a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

BelievingnounUS /bɪˈliːvɪŋ/

the cognitive process that leads to convictions

From this reading Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

consulnounUS /ˈkɑːnsəl/

a diplomat appointed by a government to protect its commercial interests and help its citizens in a foreign country

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

corporalnounUS /ˈkɔːrpərəl/

a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines

From this reading Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.

effectnounUS /ɪˈfekt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.

effusivenessnoun

a friendly open trait of a talkative person

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

exhibitedverbUS /ɪɡˈzɪbətəd/

past form of “exhibit” — show an attribute, property, knowledge, or skill

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

faithlessnessnoun

unfaithfulness by virtue of being unreliable or treacherous

From this reading Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading He has new friends, this Karl of ours.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

gravenounUS /ɡreɪv/

death of a person

From this reading But Trudschen looked grave.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading He has new friends, this Karl of ours.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.

Karl

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

From this reading He has new friends, this Karl of ours.

Karl's

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

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading But Trudschen looked grave.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading He has new friends, this Karl of ours.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

ourspronounUS /ˈaʊərz/

the one or ones belonging to us

From this reading He has new friends, this Karl of ours.

partlyadverbUS /ˈpɑːrtli/

to some extent; in some degree; not wholly

From this reading Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

surprisedadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

taxedverbUS /tækst/

past form of “tax” — levy a tax on

From this reading Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading He has new friends, this Karl of ours.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

Trudschen

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

From this reading But Trudschen looked grave.

Trudschen's

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

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading But he left on Trudschen's return, and the consul was surprised to see that, while Karl's attitude towards her had not changed, the girl exhibited less effusiveness than before.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Believing it to be partly the effect of the return of the corporal, the consul taxed her with faithlessness.

Chapter 2 of Stories in Light and Shadow by Bret Harte holds 164 sentences, grouped into 33 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 Stories in Light and Shadow contain?

Chapter 2 holds 164 sentences of Stories in Light and Shadow, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Stories in Light and Shadow by Bret Harte exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 164 sentences, grouped into 33 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 Stories in Light and Shadow?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 Stories in Light and Shadow

Common questions about reading Stories in Light and Shadow by Bret Harte on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Stories in Light and Shadow?

Yes. All 3160 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2508 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Stories in Light and Shadow is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2508, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Stories in Light and Shadow take to read?

About 263 minutes of reading across 632 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Stories in Light and Shadow section by section

How to work through Stories in Light and Shadow section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of Stories in Light and Shadow 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 Stories in Light and Shadow

Words and structures a reader meets early in Stories in Light and Shadow, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

American
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories in Light and Shadow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Consul
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories in Light and Shadow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Schlachtstadt
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories in Light and Shadow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Turned
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Stories in Light and Shadow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.