Chapter 2 of The Inheritors is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Inheritors is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Ah, yes," I said, "that's what the public wants. But all the same, it's been done time out of mind before. Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines." Callan again indicated bland superiority with a wave of his hand. "You undervalue yourself," he said.
Chapter 2 of The Inheritors is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
lacking taste or flavor or tang
From this reading “Callan again indicated bland superiority with a wave of his hand.”
past form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading “Callan again indicated bland superiority with a wave of his hand.”
plural of “magazine” — a periodic publication containing pictures and stories and articles of interest to those who purchase it or subscribe to it
From this reading “Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."”
plural of “photograph” — a representation of a person or scene in the form of a print or transparent slide or in digital format
From this reading “Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."”
a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading “Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."”
the quality of being superior
From this reading “Callan again indicated bland superiority with a wave of his hand.”
assign too low a value to
From this reading “"You undervalue yourself," he said.”
one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading “Callan again indicated bland superiority with a wave of his hand.”
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 Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
anew
From this reading Callan again indicated bland superiority with a wave of his hand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ah, yes," I said, "that's what the public wants.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading But all the same, it's been done time out of mind before.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
the past participle of “be”
From this reading But all the same, it's been done time out of mind before.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading But all the same, it's been done time out of mind before.
lacking taste or flavor or tang
From this reading Callan again indicated bland superiority with a wave of his hand.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But all the same, it's been done time out of mind before.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Callan again indicated bland superiority with a wave of his hand.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading But all the same, it's been done time out of mind before.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Callan again indicated bland superiority with a wave of his hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "You undervalue yourself," he said.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Callan again indicated bland superiority with a wave of his hand.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Ah, yes," I said, "that's what the public wants.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
past form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading Callan again indicated bland superiority with a wave of his hand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But all the same, it's been done time out of mind before.
plural of “magazine” — a periodic publication containing pictures and stories and articles of interest to those who purchase it or subscribe to it
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading But all the same, it's been done time out of mind before.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But all the same, it's been done time out of mind before.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading But all the same, it's been done time out of mind before.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
plural of “photograph” — a representation of a person or scene in the form of a print or transparent slide or in digital format
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading "Ah, yes," I said, "that's what the public wants.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Ah, yes," I said, "that's what the public wants.
Identical; not different.
From this reading But all the same, it's been done time out of mind before.
a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
of trifling worth
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
the quality of being superior
From this reading Callan again indicated bland superiority with a wave of his hand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ah, yes," I said, "that's what the public wants.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Ah, yes," I said, "that's what the public wants.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading But all the same, it's been done time out of mind before.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
assign too low a value to
From this reading "You undervalue yourself," he said.
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading "Ah, yes," I said, "that's what the public wants.
one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading Callan again indicated bland superiority with a wave of his hand.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Ah, yes," I said, "that's what the public wants.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
in the company of; together with
From this reading Callan again indicated bland superiority with a wave of his hand.
an affirmative
From this reading "Ah, yes," I said, "that's what the public wants.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Why, I've seen photographs of you and your arm-chair and your pen-wiper and so on, half a score of times in the sixpenny magazines."
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading "You undervalue yourself," he said.
Chapter 2 of The Inheritors by Joseph Conrad holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 408 sentences of The Inheritors, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Inheritors by Joseph Conrad exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 Inheritors by Joseph Conrad on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4413 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14888 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14888, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 367 minutes of reading across 883 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Inheritors section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Inheritors 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 Inheritors, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
