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The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five
The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five
Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.
He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.
He could not get over it.
He had always been cheerful, even to optimism.
He was now in a permanent state of calm, assured jollity.
0:00 / 0:00
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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.

The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.
Line 2
He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.
/hiː wɑːz nɑːt ˈoʊnli rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd baɪ ðə hoʊl taʊn æz ə ˈfeloʊ ˈwʌndərfəl ənd ˈdæzəlɪŋ bʌt hiː soʊ rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd hɪmˈself/
Line 3
He could not get over it.
/hiː kʊd nɑːt ɡet ˈoʊvər ɪt/
Line 4
He had always been cheerful, even to optimism.
/hiː hæd ˈɔːlweɪz bɪn ˈtʃɪrfəl ˈiːvɪn tuː ˈɑːptəmɪzəm/
Line 5
He was now in a permanent state of calm, assured jollity.

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.

assured adjective US /əˈʃʊrd/

marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence

From this reading “He was now in a permanent state of calm, assured jollity.”

cheerful adjective US /ˈtʃɪrfəl/

being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits

From this reading “He had always been cheerful, even to optimism.”

citizens noun US /ˈsɪtəzənz/

plural of “citizen” — a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community

From this reading “THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.”

dazzling adjective US /ˈdæzəlɪŋ/

amazingly impressive; suggestive of the flashing of lightning

From this reading “He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.”

optimism noun US /ˈɑːptəmɪzəm/

the optimistic feeling that all is going to turn out well

From this reading “He had always been cheerful, even to optimism.”

permanent adjective US /ˈpɜːrmənənt/

continuing or enduring without marked change in status or condition or place

From this reading “He was now in a permanent state of calm, assured jollity.”

regarded verb US /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading “He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.”

widow noun US /ˈwɪdoʊ/

a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried

From this reading “THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.”

All words in this reading · 58

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading He had always been cheerful, even to optimism.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

assuredadjectiveUS /əˈʃʊrd/

marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence

From this reading He was now in a permanent state of calm, assured jollity.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

Bursley

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

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.

calmverbUS /kɑːm/

make calm or still

From this reading He was now in a permanent state of calm, assured jollity.

cheerfuladjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪrfəl/

being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits

From this reading He had always been cheerful, even to optimism.

citizensnounUS /ˈsɪtəzənz/

plural of “citizen” — a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading He could not get over it.

countessnounUS /ˈkaʊntəs/

female equivalent of a count or earl

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

dancenounUS /dæns/

an artistic form of nonverbal communication

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

dazzlingadjectiveUS /ˈdæzəlɪŋ/

amazingly impressive; suggestive of the flashing of lightning

From this reading He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.

Denry

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

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading He had always been cheerful, even to optimism.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading He could not get over it.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.

HOUSEnounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

HULLINS'S

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

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading He was now in a permanent state of calm, assured jollity.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He could not get over it.

jollitynoun

feeling jolly and jovial and full of good humor

From this reading He was now in a permanent state of calm, assured jollity.

Machin

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

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

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

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading He was now in a permanent state of calm, assured jollity.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.

optimismnounUS /ˈɑːptəmɪzəm/

the optimistic feeling that all is going to turn out well

From this reading He had always been cheerful, even to optimism.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading He could not get over it.

permanentadjectiveUS /ˈpɜːrmənənt/

continuing or enduring without marked change in status or condition or place

From this reading He was now in a permanent state of calm, assured jollity.

refusedverbUS /rəˈfjuːzd/

past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

regardedverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.

simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading He was now in a permanent state of calm, assured jollity.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He had always been cheerful, even to optimism.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.

WIDOWnounUS /ˈwɪdoʊ/

a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried

From this reading THE WIDOW HULLINS'S HOUSE I The simple fact that he first, of all the citizens of Bursley, had asked a countess for a dance (and not been refused) made a new man of Denry Machin.

wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading He was not only regarded by the whole town as a fellow wonderful and dazzling, but he so regarded himself.

Chapter 2 of The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five by Arnold Bennett holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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.

What does chapter 2 of The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five contain?

Chapter 2 holds 425 sentences of The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five by Arnold Bennett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five

Common questions about reading The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five by Arnold Bennett on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five section by section

How to work through The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.