Chapter 2 of The McNaughtens is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The McNaughtens is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Spruce I've nothing to say to you now, except go, quickly. (Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce. After a moment, enter McNaughten dressed in mourning.) Spruce Finally, you're here, sir. To keep my word I've been waiting for you by this hotel, but it's been a long time.
Chapter 2 of The McNaughtens is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading “After a moment, enter McNaughten dressed in mourning.)”
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading “Spruce Finally, you're here, sir.”
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading “To keep my word I've been waiting for you by this hotel, but it's been a long time.”
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading “(Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce.”
state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one
From this reading “After a moment, enter McNaughten dressed in mourning.)”
perplexed (as if being expected to know something that you do not know)
From this reading “(Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce.”
with reluctance
From this reading “(Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce.”
light soft moderately strong wood of spruce trees; used especially for timbers and millwork
From this reading “Spruce I've nothing to say to you now, except go, quickly.”
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 (Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce.
later than; following
From this reading After a moment, enter McNaughten dressed in mourning.)
the past participle of “be”
From this reading To keep my word I've been waiting for you by this hotel, but it's been a long time.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading To keep my word I've been waiting for you by this hotel, but it's been a long time.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading (Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading (Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading After a moment, enter McNaughten dressed in mourning.)
to come or go into
From this reading After a moment, enter McNaughten dressed in mourning.)
apart from; not including
From this reading Spruce I've nothing to say to you now, except go, quickly.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading (Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce.
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading Spruce Finally, you're here, sir.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading To keep my word I've been waiting for you by this hotel, but it's been a long time.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Spruce I've nothing to say to you now, except go, quickly.
plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
From this reading (Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Spruce Finally, you're here, sir.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading To keep my word I've been waiting for you by this hotel, but it's been a long time.
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading (Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Spruce I've nothing to say to you now, except go, quickly.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading After a moment, enter McNaughten dressed in mourning.)
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To keep my word I've been waiting for you by this hotel, but it's been a long time.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading To keep my word I've been waiting for you by this hotel, but it's been a long time.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading To keep my word I've been waiting for you by this hotel, but it's been a long time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After a moment, enter McNaughten dressed in mourning.)
a particular point in time
From this reading After a moment, enter McNaughten dressed in mourning.)
state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one
From this reading After a moment, enter McNaughten dressed in mourning.)
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading To keep my word I've been waiting for you by this hotel, but it's been a long time.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Spruce I've nothing to say to you now, except go, quickly.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Spruce I've nothing to say to you now, except go, quickly.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading (Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce.
perplexed (as if being expected to know something that you do not know)
From this reading (Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce.
with speed
From this reading Spruce I've nothing to say to you now, except go, quickly.
with reluctance
From this reading (Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce.
express in words
From this reading Spruce I've nothing to say to you now, except go, quickly.
term of address for a man
From this reading Spruce Finally, you're here, sir.
light soft moderately strong wood of spruce trees; used especially for timbers and millwork
From this reading Spruce I've nothing to say to you now, except go, quickly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading (Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading To keep my word I've been waiting for you by this hotel, but it's been a long time.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading To keep my word I've been waiting for you by this hotel, but it's been a long time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Spruce I've nothing to say to you now, except go, quickly.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading To keep my word I've been waiting for you by this hotel, but it's been a long time.
in the company of; together with
From this reading (Reluctantly, with a questioning expression, the Captain goes, hurried off by Spruce.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading To keep my word I've been waiting for you by this hotel, but it's been a long time.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Spruce I've nothing to say to you now, except go, quickly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Spruce Finally, you're here, sir.
Chapter 2 of The McNaughtens by Jean-François Regnard holds 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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.
Chapter 2 holds 416 sentences of The McNaughtens, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The McNaughtens by Jean-François Regnard exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 McNaughtens by Jean-François Regnard on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1619 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4977 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4977, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 134 minutes of reading across 324 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The McNaughtens section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of The McNaughtens 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 McNaughtens, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
