Chapter 2 of The Gem Collector is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Gem Collector is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep. "That you, Spike?" asked Jimmy, in a low voice. "Dat's right, Mr. Chames." "Come on in." He led the way up to his rooms, switched on the electric light, and shut the door.
Chapter 2 of The Gem Collector 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
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.
comparative of “black” — being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading “A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.”
showing lack of emotional involvement
From this reading “A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.”
the sill of a door; a horizontal piece of wood or stone that forms the bottom of a doorway and offers support when passing through a doorway
From this reading “A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.”
using or providing or producing or transmitting or operated by electricity
From this reading “He led the way up to his rooms, switched on the electric light, and shut the door.”
to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open
From this reading “A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.”
past form of “shuffle” — walk by dragging one's feet
From this reading “A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.”
a transient variation in voltage or current
From this reading “"That you, Spike?" asked Jimmy, in a low voice.”
past form of “switch” — change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence
From this reading “He led the way up to his rooms, switched on the electric light, and shut the door.”
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 A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "That you, Spike?" asked Jimmy, in a low voice.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
comparative of “black” — being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Dat's right, Mr. Chames."
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Come on in."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Dat's right, Mr. Chames."
showing lack of emotional involvement
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading He led the way up to his rooms, switched on the electric light, and shut the door.
the sill of a door; a horizontal piece of wood or stone that forms the bottom of a doorway and offers support when passing through a doorway
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
using or providing or producing or transmitting or operated by electricity
From this reading He led the way up to his rooms, switched on the electric light, and shut the door.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He led the way up to his rooms, switched on the electric light, and shut the door.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He led the way up to his rooms, switched on the electric light, and shut the door.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "That you, Spike?" asked Jimmy, in a low voice.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading He led the way up to his rooms, switched on the electric light, and shut the door.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading He led the way up to his rooms, switched on the electric light, and shut the door.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading "That you, Spike?" asked Jimmy, in a low voice.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Dat's right, Mr. Chames."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "Dat's right, Mr. Chames."
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading He led the way up to his rooms, switched on the electric light, and shut the door.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
past form of “shuffle” — walk by dragging one's feet
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading He led the way up to his rooms, switched on the electric light, and shut the door.
a transient variation in voltage or current
From this reading "That you, Spike?" asked Jimmy, in a low voice.
in a stealthy manner
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
past form of “switch” — change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence
From this reading He led the way up to his rooms, switched on the electric light, and shut the door.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "That you, Spike?" asked Jimmy, in a low voice.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He led the way up to his rooms, switched on the electric light, and shut the door.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "That you, Spike?" asked Jimmy, in a low voice.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He led the way up to his rooms, switched on the electric light, and shut the door.
in or at the place that
From this reading A black figure detached itself from the blacker shadows, and shuffled stealthily to where Jimmy stood on the doorstep.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "That you, Spike?" asked Jimmy, in a low voice.
Chapter 2 of The Gem Collector by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse 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.
Chapter 2 holds 174 sentences of The Gem Collector, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Gem Collector by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse 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.
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.
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 Gem Collector by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3136 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8931 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8931, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 261 minutes of reading across 628 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Gem Collector section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Gem Collector 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 Gem Collector, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
