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The Grain of Dust: A Novel
The Grain of Dust: A Novel

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Grain of Dust: A Novel is here in full — 222 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Grain of Dust: A Novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
She was saying, "Did you wish me to do something?"
"Yes--a letter.
Come in," he said abruptly.
Once more the business in hand took possession of his mind.
He became unconscious of her presence.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Grain of Dust: A Novel

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Grain of Dust: A Novel is here in full — 222 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
She was saying, "Did you wish me to do something?"
Line 2
"Yes--a letter.
Line 3
Come in," he said abruptly.
Line 4
Once more the business in hand took possession of his mind.
Line 5
He became unconscious of her presence.

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.

Mind noun US /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading “Once more the business in hand took possession of his mind.”

All words in this reading · 32

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.

a

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

From this reading "Yes--a letter.

abruptly

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

From this reading Come in," he said abruptly.

became

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

From this reading He became unconscious of her presence.

business

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

From this reading Once more the business in hand took possession of his mind.

Come

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

From this reading Come in," he said abruptly.

Did

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

From this reading She was saying, "Did you wish me to do something?"

do

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

From this reading She was saying, "Did you wish me to do something?"

hand

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

From this reading Once more the business in hand took possession of his mind.

he

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

From this reading Come in," he said abruptly.

her

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

From this reading He became unconscious of her presence.

his

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

From this reading Once more the business in hand took possession of his mind.

in

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

From this reading Come in," he said abruptly.

letter

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

From this reading "Yes--a letter.

me

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

From this reading She was saying, "Did you wish me to do something?"

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Once more the business in hand took possession of his mind.

more

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

From this reading Once more the business in hand took possession of his mind.

of

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

From this reading Once more the business in hand took possession of his mind.

Once

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

From this reading Once more the business in hand took possession of his mind.

possession

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

From this reading Once more the business in hand took possession of his mind.

presence

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

From this reading He became unconscious of her presence.

said

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

From this reading Come in," he said abruptly.

saying

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

From this reading She was saying, "Did you wish me to do something?"

She

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

From this reading She was saying, "Did you wish me to do something?"

something

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

From this reading She was saying, "Did you wish me to do something?"

the

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

From this reading Once more the business in hand took possession of his mind.

to

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

From this reading She was saying, "Did you wish me to do something?"

took

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

From this reading Once more the business in hand took possession of his mind.

unconscious

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

From this reading He became unconscious of her presence.

was

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

From this reading She was saying, "Did you wish me to do something?"

wish

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

From this reading She was saying, "Did you wish me to do something?"

Yes

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

From this reading "Yes--a letter.

you

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

From this reading She was saying, "Did you wish me to do something?"

Chapter 2 of The Grain of Dust: A Novel by David Graham Phillips holds 222 sentences, grouped into 45 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 Grain of Dust: A Novel contain?

Chapter 2 holds 222 sentences of The Grain of Dust: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Grain of Dust: A Novel by David Graham Phillips exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 222 sentences, grouped into 45 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 Grain of Dust: A Novel?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 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.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Grain of Dust: A Novel

Common questions about reading The Grain of Dust: A Novel by David Graham Phillips on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Grain of Dust: A Novel?

Yes. All 7553 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #430 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Grain of Dust: A Novel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #430, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Grain of Dust: A Novel take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1511 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Grain of Dust: A Novel section by section

How to work through The Grain of Dust: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 34 chapters of The Grain of Dust: A Novel to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Grain of Dust: A Novel

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Grain of Dust: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Teach
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Grain of Dust: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cried
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Grain of Dust: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Won't
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Grain of Dust: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Out-and-out
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Grain of Dust: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.