Chapter 3 of The Coast of Chance is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Coast of Chance is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her. She looked up at him suddenly, with inquiring eyes. "Do you think I am weak?" she demanded. The lines of his face broke up into laughter. "No," he said, "I think you are misplaced."
Chapter 3 of The Coast of Chance is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading “"Do you think I am weak?" she demanded.”
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading “They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.”
given to inquiry
From this reading “She looked up at him suddenly, with inquiring eyes.”
the sound of laughing
From this reading “The lines of his face broke up into laughter.”
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading “The lines of his face broke up into laughter.”
possessive form of “major” — a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain
From this reading “They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.”
put in the wrong place or position
From this reading “"No," he said, "I think you are misplaced."”
wanting in physical strength
From this reading “"Do you think I am weak?" she demanded.”
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.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "Do you think I am weak?" she demanded.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "No," he said, "I think you are misplaced."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She looked up at him suddenly, with inquiring eyes.
lacking funds
From this reading The lines of his face broke up into laughter.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading "Do you think I am weak?" she demanded.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do you think I am weak?" she demanded.
opinion or judgment
From this reading She looked up at him suddenly, with inquiring eyes.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The lines of his face broke up into laughter.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She looked up at him suddenly, with inquiring eyes.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The lines of his face broke up into laughter.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Do you think I am weak?" she demanded.
given to inquiry
From this reading She looked up at him suddenly, with inquiring eyes.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The lines of his face broke up into laughter.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
the sound of laughing
From this reading The lines of his face broke up into laughter.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading The lines of his face broke up into laughter.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading She looked up at him suddenly, with inquiring eyes.
possessive form of “major” — a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
put in the wrong place or position
From this reading "No," he said, "I think you are misplaced."
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
not any; not one
From this reading "No," he said, "I think you are misplaced."
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "No," he said, "I think you are misplaced."
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She looked up at him suddenly, with inquiring eyes.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading She looked up at him suddenly, with inquiring eyes.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Do you think I am weak?" she demanded.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading She looked up at him suddenly, with inquiring eyes.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
wanting in physical strength
From this reading "Do you think I am weak?" she demanded.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading They had almost reached the major's gate, and it was now or never to find out what he thought of her.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She looked up at him suddenly, with inquiring eyes.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Do you think I am weak?" she demanded.
Chapter 3 of The Coast of Chance by Esther, -1908 Chamberlain holds 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 3 holds 412 sentences of The Coast of Chance, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Coast of Chance by Esther, -1908 Chamberlain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 3 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 Coast of Chance by Esther, -1908 Chamberlain on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5474 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20445 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20445, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 456 minutes of reading across 1095 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Coast of Chance section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Coast of Chance 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 Coast of Chance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
