Chapter 2 of The Cardinal's snuff-box is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Cardinal's snuff-box is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
he obligingly translated. “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally. “Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea. When your coffee is coffee it keeps me awake at night.” Marietta trudged back to her kitchen, nodding at the sky.
Chapter 2 of The Cardinal's snuff-box is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading “When your coffee is coffee it keeps me awake at night.””
a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans
From this reading ““Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea.”
in a cheerless manner
From this reading ““But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.”
plural of “keep” — the financial means whereby one lives
From this reading “When your coffee is coffee it keeps me awake at night.””
having branches or flower heads that bend downward
From this reading “Marietta trudged back to her kitchen, nodding at the sky.”
in accommodation
From this reading “he obligingly translated.”
past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language
From this reading “he obligingly translated.”
past form of “trudge” — walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
From this reading “Marietta trudged back to her kitchen, nodding at the sky.”
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.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
(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 “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When your coffee is coffee it keeps me awake at night.”
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading When your coffee is coffee it keeps me awake at night.”
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Marietta trudged back to her kitchen, nodding at the sky.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading “Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans
From this reading “Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
in a cheerless manner
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading he obligingly translated.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When your coffee is coffee it keeps me awake at night.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea.
plural of “keep” — the financial means whereby one lives
From this reading When your coffee is coffee it keeps me awake at night.”
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading Marietta trudged back to her kitchen, nodding at the sky.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Marietta trudged back to her kitchen, nodding at the sky.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading “Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading When your coffee is coffee it keeps me awake at night.”
having branches or flower heads that bend downward
From this reading Marietta trudged back to her kitchen, nodding at the sky.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea.
in accommodation
From this reading he obligingly translated.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
and nothing more
From this reading “Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Marietta trudged back to her kitchen, nodding at the sky.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading “Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Marietta trudged back to her kitchen, nodding at the sky.
the upper part of anything
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language
From this reading he obligingly translated.
past form of “trudge” — walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
From this reading Marietta trudged back to her kitchen, nodding at the sky.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading “But for all the good I get of her, she might as well live on the top of the Cornobastone,” he added dismally.
at the time that
From this reading When your coffee is coffee it keeps me awake at night.”
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Yes, now you may bring me my coffee--only, let it be tea.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading When your coffee is coffee it keeps me awake at night.”
Chapter 2 of The Cardinal's snuff-box by Henry Harland holds 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 405 sentences of The Cardinal's snuff-box, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Cardinal's snuff-box by Henry Harland exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 The Cardinal's snuff-box by Henry Harland on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4100 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5610 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5610, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 341 minutes of reading across 820 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Cardinal's snuff-box section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Cardinal's snuff-box 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 Cardinal's snuff-box, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
