Chapter 26 of The Argus Pheasant is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of The Argus Pheasant is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room. "A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead. "Regular Manila weather." "The monsoon failed us again to-day," Peter Gross observed. Carver dropped the topic abruptly.
Chapter 26 of The Argus Pheasant is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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.
(informal) very unpleasant
From this reading “"A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.”
United States botanist and agricultural chemist who developed many uses for peanuts and soy beans and sweet potatoes (1864-1943)
From this reading “"TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.”
possessive form of “gross” — twelve dozen
From this reading “"TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.”
a strong paper or thin cardboard with a smooth light brown finish made from e.g. Manila hemp
From this reading “"Regular Manila weather."”
a seasonal wind in southern Asia; blows from the southwest (bringing rain) in summer and from the northeast in winter
From this reading “"The monsoon failed us again to-day," Peter Gross observed.”
salty fluid secreted by sweat glands
From this reading “"A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.”
past form of “recline” — move the upper body backwards and down
From this reading “"TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.”
-ing form of “wipe” — rub with a circular motion
From this reading “"A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.”
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.
In this reading “"A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.”
In this reading “"TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.”
In this reading “"TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.”
In this reading “"A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.”
In this reading “"TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.”
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 "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
quickly and without warning
From this reading Carver dropped the topic abruptly.
anew
From this reading "The monsoon failed us again to-day," Peter Gross observed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
declared publicly; made widely known
From this reading "A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.
(informal) very unpleasant
From this reading "A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
United States botanist and agricultural chemist who developed many uses for peanuts and soy beans and sweet potatoes (1864-1943)
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
a roll of tobacco for smoking
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading "A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Carver dropped the topic abruptly.
past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading "The monsoon failed us again to-day," Peter Gross observed.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading "A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
before any deductions
From this reading "The monsoon failed us again to-day," Peter Gross observed.
possessive form of “gross” — twelve dozen
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading "A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
a domain in which something is dominant
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
a strong paper or thin cardboard with a smooth light brown finish made from e.g. Manila hemp
From this reading "Regular Manila weather."
a seasonal wind in southern Asia; blows from the southwest (bringing rain) in summer and from the northeast in winter
From this reading "The monsoon failed us again to-day," Peter Gross observed.
used to form the superlative
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading "The monsoon failed us again to-day," Peter Gross observed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
salty fluid secreted by sweat glands
From this reading "A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
past form of “recline” — move the upper body backwards and down
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading "Regular Manila weather."
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
chosen in preference to another
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "TO HALF OF MY KINGDOM--" Captain Carver selected a cigar from Peter Gross's humidor and reclined in the most comfortable chair in the room.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The monsoon failed us again to-day," Peter Gross observed.
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading Carver dropped the topic abruptly.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "The monsoon failed us again to-day," Peter Gross observed.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading "Regular Manila weather."
-ing form of “wipe” — rub with a circular motion
From this reading "A beastly hot day," he announced, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.
Chapter 26 of The Argus Pheasant by John Charles Beecham holds 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 141 sentences of The Argus Pheasant, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of The Argus Pheasant by John Charles Beecham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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 The Argus Pheasant by John Charles Beecham on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5660 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37215 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #37215, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 471 minutes of reading across 1132 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Argus Pheasant section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 31 chapters of The Argus Pheasant 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 The Argus Pheasant, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
