Chapter 2 of The Cords of Vanity: A Comedy of Shirking is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Cords of Vanity: A Comedy of Shirking is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Good-bye," she said, and casually shook hands. Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar. And I'm letting you go. I'm turning you over to Stellas and mothers and things like that just because I have to. It isn't fair.
Chapter 2 of The Cords of Vanity: A Comedy of Shirking is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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 methodically or according to plan
From this reading “"Good-bye," she said, and casually shook hands.”
provoking horror
From this reading “Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.”
a farewell remark
From this reading “"Good-bye," she said, and casually shook hands.”
property that is leased or rented out or let
From this reading “And I'm letting you go.”
a person who has lied or who lies repeatedly
From this reading “Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.”
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading “Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.”
plural of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading “I'm turning you over to Stellas and mothers and things like that just because I have to.”
small Old World songbird with a reddish breast
From this reading “Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.”
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 Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Good-bye," she said, and casually shook hands.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
for the reason that
From this reading I'm turning you over to Stellas and mothers and things like that just because I have to.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
not methodically or according to plan
From this reading "Good-bye," she said, and casually shook hands.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading It isn't fair.
provoking horror
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading And I'm letting you go.
a farewell remark
From this reading "Good-bye," she said, and casually shook hands.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading "Good-bye," she said, and casually shook hands.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I'm turning you over to Stellas and mothers and things like that just because I have to.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I'm turning you over to Stellas and mothers and things like that just because I have to.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And I'm letting you go.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It isn't fair.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It isn't fair.
and nothing more
From this reading I'm turning you over to Stellas and mothers and things like that just because I have to.
property that is leased or rented out or let
From this reading And I'm letting you go.
a person who has lied or who lies repeatedly
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I'm turning you over to Stellas and mothers and things like that just because I have to.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
plural of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading I'm turning you over to Stellas and mothers and things like that just because I have to.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
above and across; more than
From this reading I'm turning you over to Stellas and mothers and things like that just because I have to.
on the contrary
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
small Old World songbird with a reddish breast
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Good-bye," she said, and casually shook hands.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Good-bye," she said, and casually shook hands.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading "Good-bye," she said, and casually shook hands.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm turning you over to Stellas and mothers and things like that just because I have to.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I'm turning you over to Stellas and mothers and things like that just because I have to.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading I'm turning you over to Stellas and mothers and things like that just because I have to.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I'm turning you over to Stellas and mothers and things like that just because I have to.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading I'm turning you over to Stellas and mothers and things like that just because I have to.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Then Bettie Hamlyn said, in a different voice: "Robin, you come of such a bad lot, and already you are by way of being a rather frightful liar.
Chapter 2 of The Cords of Vanity: A Comedy of Shirking by James Branch Cabell holds 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 400 sentences of The Cords of Vanity: A Comedy of Shirking, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Cords of Vanity: A Comedy of Shirking by James Branch Cabell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 Cords of Vanity: A Comedy of Shirking by James Branch Cabell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4781 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9608 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9608, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 398 minutes of reading across 957 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Cords of Vanity: A Comedy of Shirking section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Cords of Vanity: A Comedy of Shirking 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 Cords of Vanity: A Comedy of Shirking, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
