The Dead Letter: An American Romance

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Dead Letter: An American Romance is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Metta Victoria Fuller Victor • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

EVENTS OF A NIGHT.

It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

When young men, they had started out in life together, in equal circumstances; one had died early, just as fortune began to smile; the other lived to continue in well-earned prosperity.

Mr. Argyll had never ceased to take an interest in the orphan son of his friend.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter II Reading 1/34

The Dead Letter: An American Romance Metta Victoria Fuller Victor

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Dead Letter: An American Romance is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

EVENTS OF A NIGHT. It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family. I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father. When young men, they had started out in life together, in equal circumstances; one had died early, just as fortune began to smile; the other lived to continue in well-earned prosperity. Mr. Argyll had never ceased to take an interest in the orphan son of his friend.

The Dead Letter: An American Romance

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Dead Letter: An American Romance is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

EVENTS OF A NIGHT.

/ɪˈvents ʌv ə naɪt/

Line 2

It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

Line 3

I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

Line 4

When young men, they had started out in life together, in equal circumstances; one had died early, just as fortune began to smile; the other lived to continue in well-earned prosperity.

Line 5

Mr. Argyll had never ceased to take an interest in the orphan son of his friend.

/ˈmɪstər ɑːrˈɡaɪl hæd ˈnevər siːst tuː teɪk æn ˈɪntrəst ɪn ðə ˈɔːrfən sʌn ʌv hɪz frend/

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.

Argyll noun US /ɑːrˈɡaɪl/

a covered gravy holder of silver or other metal containing a detachable central vessel for hot water to keep the gravy warm

From this reading “It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.”

cloudy adjective US /ˈklaʊdi/

lacking definite form or limits

From this reading “It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.”

deceased noun US /dɪˈsiːst/

someone who is no longer alive

From this reading “I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.”

existed verb US /ɪɡˈzɪstəd/

past form of “exist” — have an existence, be extant

From this reading “I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.”

favored adjective US /ˈfeɪvərd/

preferred above all others and treated with partiality

From this reading “I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.”

orphan noun US /ˈɔːrfən/

a child who has lost both parents

From this reading “Mr. Argyll had never ceased to take an interest in the orphan son of his friend.”

prosperity noun US /prɑːˈsperəti/

an economic state of growth with rising profits and full employment

From this reading “When young men, they had started out in life together, in equal circumstances; one had died early, just as fortune began to smile; the other lived to continue in well-earned prosperity.”

windy adjective US /ˈwɪndi/

abounding in or exposed to the wind or breezes

From this reading “It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

existed between verb + particle counted as “exist between”

In this reading “I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.”

spend the evening verb + article + noun counted as “spend … evening”

In this reading “It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.”

young men adjective + noun

In this reading “When young men, they had started out in life together, in equal circumstances; one had died early, just as fortune began to smile; the other lived to continue in well-earned prosperity.”

on account preposition + noun

In this reading “I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.”

autumn day noun + noun

In this reading “It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.”

in the afternoon preposition + article + noun counted as “in … afternoon”

In this reading “It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.”

started out verb + adjective counted as “start out”

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

take an interest verb + article + noun counted as “take … interest”

In this reading “Mr. Argyll had never ceased to take an interest in the orphan son of his friend.”

All words in this reading · 79

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 EVENTS OF A NIGHT.

accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/

a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Mr. Argyll had never ceased to take an interest in the orphan son of his friend.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

ArgyllnounUS /ɑːrˈɡaɪl/

a covered gravy holder of silver or other metal containing a detachable central vessel for hot water to keep the gravy warm

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading When young men, they had started out in life together, in equal circumstances; one had died early, just as fortune began to smile; the other lived to continue in well-earned prosperity.

autumnnounUS /ˈɔːtəm/

the season when the leaves fall from the trees

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

ceasedverbUS /siːst/

past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity

From this reading Mr. Argyll had never ceased to take an interest in the orphan son of his friend.

circumstancesnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəmstænsəz/

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

cloudyadjectiveUS /ˈklaʊdi/

lacking definite form or limits

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

companynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

continueverbUS /kənˈtɪnjuː/

continue a certain state, condition, or activity

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

deceasednounUS /dɪˈsiːst/

someone who is no longer alive

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

diedverbUS /daɪd/

past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

equalverbUS /ˈiːkwəl/

be identical or equivalent to

Esqnoun

a title of respect for a member of the English gentry ranking just below a knight; placed after the name

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

EVENTSnounUS /ɪˈvents/

plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading EVENTS OF A NIGHT.

existedverbUS /ɪɡˈzɪstəd/

past form of “exist” — have an existence, be extant

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

favoredadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪvərd/

preferred above all others and treated with partiality

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Mr. Argyll had never ceased to take an interest in the orphan son of his friend.

friendshipnounUS /ˈfrendʃɪp/

the state of being friends (or friendly)

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading Mr. Argyll had never ceased to take an interest in the orphan son of his friend.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

kindnessnounUS /ˈkaɪndnəs/

the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

law-student

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

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Argyll had never ceased to take an interest in the orphan son of his friend.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Mr. Argyll had never ceased to take an interest in the orphan son of his friend.

NIGHTnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading EVENTS OF A NIGHT.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading EVENTS OF A NIGHT.

officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

ordinarynounUS /ˈɔːrdəneri/

a judge of a probate court

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

orphannounUS /ˈɔːrfən/

a child who has lost both parents

From this reading Mr. Argyll had never ceased to take an interest in the orphan son of his friend.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

prosperitynounUS /prɑːˈsperəti/

an economic state of growth with rising profits and full employment

smileverbUS /smaɪl/

change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading Mr. Argyll had never ceased to take an interest in the orphan son of his friend.

spendverbUS /spend/

use up a period of time in a specific way

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

teanounUS /tiː/

a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

well-earned

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

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

windyadjectiveUS /ˈwɪndi/

abounding in or exposed to the wind or breezes

From this reading It was late in the afternoon of a cloudy, windy autumn day, that I left the office of John Argyll, Esq., in his company, to take tea and spend the evening in his family.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I was a law-student in the office, and was favored with more than ordinary kindness by him, on account of a friendship that had existed between him and my deceased father.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

Chapter 2 of The Dead Letter: An American Romance by Metta Victoria Fuller Victor holds 174 sentences, grouped into 35 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 Dead Letter: An American Romance contain?

Chapter 2 holds 174 sentences of The Dead Letter: An American Romance, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Dead Letter: An American Romance by Metta Victoria Fuller Victor exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 174 sentences, grouped into 35 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 Dead Letter: An American Romance?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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.

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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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #46708, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Chapter II

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