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The Late Tenant
The Late Tenant

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Late Tenant is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Louis Tracy • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Late Tenant
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.
"Who is there?" he asked in a matter-of-fact voice.
There was no answer, and now he had a feeling that the presence was drawing nearer.
He was unarmed, of course.
The inseparable six-shooter of the West lay at the bottom of a cabin-trunk in his bed-room.
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 Late Tenant

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Late Tenant is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.
/ə ˈsɪɡnətʃər wɪð ə ˈflɜːrɪʃ hiː wɑːz kəˈlektəd ɪˈnʌf ðoʊ ðə blʌd wɑːz ˈræðər kuːl ɪn hɪz veɪnz ənd ðer wɑːz æn ɑːd ˈsensətɪvnəs æt ðə ruːts ʌv hɪz her/
Line 2
"Who is there?" he asked in a matter-of-fact voice.
Line 3
There was no answer, and now he had a feeling that the presence was drawing nearer.
/ðer wɑːz noʊ ˈænsər ənd naʊ hiː hæd ə ˈfiːlɪŋ ðæt ðə ˈprezəns wɑːz ˈdrɔːɪŋ ˈnɪrər/
Line 4
He was unarmed, of course.
/hiː wɑːz əˈnɑːrmd ʌv kɔːrs/
Line 5
The inseparable six-shooter of the West lay at the bottom of a cabin-trunk in his bed-room.

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.

collected adjective US /kəˈlektəd/

brought together in one place

From this reading “A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flourish verb US /ˈflɜːrɪʃ/

grow vigorously

From this reading “A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inseparable adjective US /ˌɪnˈsepərəbəl/

not capable of being separated

From this reading “The inseparable six-shooter of the West lay at the bottom of a cabin-trunk in his bed-room.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roots noun US /ruːts/

the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage

From this reading “A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sensitiveness noun US /ˈsensətɪvnəs/

sensitivity to emotional feelings (of self and others)

From this reading “A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
signature noun US /ˈsɪɡnətʃər/

your name written in your own handwriting

From this reading “A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
unarmed adjective US /əˈnɑːrmd/

(used of persons or the military) not having or using arms

From this reading “He was unarmed, of course.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
veins noun US /veɪnz/

plural of “vein” — a blood vessel that carries blood from the capillaries toward the heart

From this reading “A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

matter-of-fact voice adjective + noun

In this reading “"Who is there?" he asked in a matter-of-fact voice.”

215 times in 426,211 chapters
at the bottom preposition + article + noun counted as “at … bottom”

In this reading “The inseparable six-shooter of the West lay at the bottom of a cabin-trunk in his bed-room.”

21,590 times in 426,211 chapters
of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading “He was unarmed, of course.”

307,822 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 48

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 A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading There was no answer, and now he had a feeling that the presence was drawing nearer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Who is there?" he asked in a matter-of-fact voice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bed-room

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

From this reading The inseparable six-shooter of the West lay at the bottom of a cabin-trunk in his bed-room.

Pending verification
bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

Velmora curated lexicon
bottomnounUS /ˈbɑːtəm/

the lower side of anything

From this reading The inseparable six-shooter of the West lay at the bottom of a cabin-trunk in his bed-room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cabin-trunk

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

From this reading The inseparable six-shooter of the West lay at the bottom of a cabin-trunk in his bed-room.

Pending verification
collectedadjectiveUS /kəˈlektəd/

brought together in one place

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cooladjectiveUS /kuːl/

neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading He was unarmed, of course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
drawingnounUS /ˈdrɔːɪŋ/

an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper

From this reading There was no answer, and now he had a feeling that the presence was drawing nearer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading There was no answer, and now he had a feeling that the presence was drawing nearer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FLOURISHverbUS /ˈflɜːrɪʃ/

grow vigorously

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading There was no answer, and now he had a feeling that the presence was drawing nearer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inseparableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsepərəbəl/

not capable of being separated

From this reading The inseparable six-shooter of the West lay at the bottom of a cabin-trunk in his bed-room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Who is there?" he asked in a matter-of-fact voice.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The inseparable six-shooter of the West lay at the bottom of a cabin-trunk in his bed-room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
matter-of-factadjective

not fanciful or imaginative

From this reading "Who is there?" he asked in a matter-of-fact voice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
neareradverbUS /ˈnɪrər/

(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance

From this reading There was no answer, and now he had a feeling that the presence was drawing nearer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There was no answer, and now he had a feeling that the presence was drawing nearer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading There was no answer, and now he had a feeling that the presence was drawing nearer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
oddadjectiveUS /ɑːd/

not divisible by two

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/

the state of being present; current existence

From this reading There was no answer, and now he had a feeling that the presence was drawing nearer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rootsnounUS /ruːts/

the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sensitivenessnounUS /ˈsensətɪvnəs/

sensitivity to emotional feelings (of self and others)

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SIGNATUREnounUS /ˈsɪɡnətʃər/

your name written in your own handwriting

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
six-shooternoun

a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)

From this reading The inseparable six-shooter of the West lay at the bottom of a cabin-trunk in his bed-room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading There was no answer, and now he had a feeling that the presence was drawing nearer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
unarmedadjectiveUS /əˈnɑːrmd/

(used of persons or the military) not having or using arms

From this reading He was unarmed, of course.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
veinsnounUS /veɪnz/

plural of “vein” — a blood vessel that carries blood from the capillaries toward the heart

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading "Who is there?" he asked in a matter-of-fact voice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WestnounUS /west/

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading The inseparable six-shooter of the West lay at the bottom of a cabin-trunk in his bed-room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "Who is there?" he asked in a matter-of-fact voice.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WITHprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH He was collected enough, though the blood was rather cool in his veins, and there was an odd sensitiveness at the roots of his hair.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 2 of The Late Tenant by Louis Tracy holds 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 Late Tenant contain?

Chapter 2 holds 199 sentences of The Late Tenant, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Late Tenant by Louis Tracy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 Late Tenant?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 Late Tenant

Common questions about reading The Late Tenant by Louis Tracy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Late Tenant?

Yes. All 4303 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35691 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Late Tenant is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #35691, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Late Tenant take to read?

About 358 minutes of reading across 861 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Late Tenant section by section

How to work through The Late Tenant section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 22 chapters of The Late Tenant 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 Late Tenant

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Late Tenant, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Edward
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Late Tenant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clode
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Late Tenant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fifth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Late Tenant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Avenue
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Late Tenant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.