Chapter 2 of The Cruise of the Pelican is here in full — 241 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Cruise of the Pelican is here in full — 241 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner. "Come up to the school, Tom!" she returned. "You can dine in hall as my guest. And what brought you to town?" "Can't talk now, Florence.
Chapter 2 of The Cruise of the Pelican is here in full — 241 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/48 · 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.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading “NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.”
have supper; eat dinner
From this reading “"You can dine in hall as my guest.”
to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect
From this reading “NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.”
a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries
From this reading “NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.”
wife of William Shakespeare (1556-1623)
From this reading “NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.”
the middle of the day
From this reading “NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.”
an insignificant place
From this reading “NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.”
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading “NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.”
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.
bring forth, usually something desirable
In this reading “"Come up to the school, Tom!" she returned.”
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 NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "You can dine in hall as my guest.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading And what brought you to town?"
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "You can dine in hall as my guest.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Can't talk now, Florence.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Come up to the school, Tom!" she returned.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
have supper; eat dinner
From this reading "You can dine in hall as my guest.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading "You can dine in hall as my guest.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading "You can dine in hall as my guest.
wife of William Shakespeare (1556-1623)
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "You can dine in hall as my guest.
become part of; become a member of a group or organization
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "You can dine in hall as my guest.
information about recent and important events
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
the middle of the day
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Can't talk now, Florence.
an insignificant place
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
express the need or desire for
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading "Come up to the school, Tom!" she returned.
an educational institution
From this reading "Come up to the school, Tom!" she returned.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading "Can't talk now, Florence.
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
male cat
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading And what brought you to town?"
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Come up to the school, Tom!" she returned.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading And what brought you to town?"
at the time that
From this reading NEWS FROM NOWHERE Florence Hathaway was extremely astonished when, upon Sunday morning, she heard the voice of Tom Dennis on the telephone, and received a request to join him down-town for noon dinner.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You can dine in hall as my guest.
Chapter 2 of The Cruise of the Pelican by H. (Henry) Bedford-Jones holds 241 sentences, grouped into 49 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 241 sentences of The Cruise of the Pelican, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Cruise of the Pelican by H. (Henry) Bedford-Jones exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 241 sentences, grouped into 49 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 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 49 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 Cruise of the Pelican by H. (Henry) Bedford-Jones on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3004 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67311 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #67311, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 250 minutes of reading across 601 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Cruise of the Pelican section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Cruise of the Pelican 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 Cruise of the Pelican, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
