Chapter 2 of The Grim House is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Grim House is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"And have none of their servants ever told over anything?" "There seems nothing to tell," said Isabel. "It is just a very quiet regular house. Things seem to go on from year's end to year's end just the same." "It is too extraordinary," I exclaimed, "and dreadfully sad."
Chapter 2 of The Grim House is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
of a dreadful kind
From this reading “"It is too extraordinary," I exclaimed, "and dreadfully sad."”
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
From this reading “"It is too extraordinary," I exclaimed, "and dreadfully sad."”
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading “"It is just a very quiet regular house.”
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading “"It is just a very quiet regular house.”
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading “"It is too extraordinary," I exclaimed, "and dreadfully sad."”
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “Things seem to go on from year's end to year's end just the same."”
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading “"And have none of their servants ever told over anything?"”
possessive form of “year” — a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading “Things seem to go on from year's end to year's end just the same."”
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.
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
In this reading “Things seem to go on from year's end to year's end just the same."”
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 "It is just a very quiet regular house.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And have none of their servants ever told over anything?"
any thing at all
From this reading "And have none of their servants ever told over anything?"
of a dreadful kind
From this reading "It is too extraordinary," I exclaimed, "and dreadfully sad."
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Things seem to go on from year's end to year's end just the same."
at any time
From this reading "And have none of their servants ever told over anything?"
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "It is too extraordinary," I exclaimed, "and dreadfully sad."
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
From this reading "It is too extraordinary," I exclaimed, "and dreadfully sad."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Things seem to go on from year's end to year's end just the same."
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Things seem to go on from year's end to year's end just the same."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "And have none of their servants ever told over anything?"
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading "It is just a very quiet regular house.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "It is too extraordinary," I exclaimed, "and dreadfully sad."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It is just a very quiet regular house.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There seems nothing to tell," said Isabel.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It is just a very quiet regular house.
and nothing more
From this reading "It is just a very quiet regular house.
not one, and not any
From this reading "And have none of their servants ever told over anything?"
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "There seems nothing to tell," said Isabel.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "And have none of their servants ever told over anything?"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Things seem to go on from year's end to year's end just the same."
above and across; more than
From this reading "And have none of their servants ever told over anything?"
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading "It is just a very quiet regular house.
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading "It is just a very quiet regular house.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading "It is too extraordinary," I exclaimed, "and dreadfully sad."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "There seems nothing to tell," said Isabel.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Things seem to go on from year's end to year's end just the same."
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Things seem to go on from year's end to year's end just the same."
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "There seems nothing to tell," said Isabel.
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading "And have none of their servants ever told over anything?"
express in words
From this reading "There seems nothing to tell," said Isabel.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Things seem to go on from year's end to year's end just the same."
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "And have none of their servants ever told over anything?"
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There seems nothing to tell," said Isabel.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Things seem to go on from year's end to year's end just the same."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "There seems nothing to tell," said Isabel.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading "And have none of their servants ever told over anything?"
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "It is too extraordinary," I exclaimed, "and dreadfully sad."
precisely as stated
From this reading "It is just a very quiet regular house.
possessive form of “year” — a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading Things seem to go on from year's end to year's end just the same."
Chapter 2 of The Grim House by Mrs. Molesworth holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 413 sentences of The Grim House, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Grim House by Mrs. Molesworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 Grim House by Mrs. Molesworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3323 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43878 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43878, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 276 minutes of reading across 665 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Grim House section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Grim House 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 Grim House, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
