Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The oak staircase
The oak staircase

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The oak staircase is here in full — 657 sentences across 132 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By M. (Mary), active Lee • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The oak staircase
Context Illustration Reading 1/131 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LADY GREENSLEEVES' STORY.
In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.
My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.
My father, Sir Bernard, was the third baronet of our house.
You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.
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 oak staircase

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The oak staircase is here in full — 657 sentences across 132 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/131 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LADY GREENSLEEVES' STORY.
Line 2
In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.
Line 3
My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.
Line 4
My father, Sir Bernard, was the third baronet of our house.
/maɪ ˈfɑːðər sɜːr bərˈnɑːrd wɑːz ðə θɜːrd ˈberənət ʌv ˈaʊər haʊs/
Line 5
You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

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.

baronet noun US /ˈberənət/

a member of the British order of honor; ranks below a baron but above a knight

From this reading “My father, Sir Bernard, was the third baronet of our house.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Bernard noun US /bərˈnɑːrd/

French physiologist noted for research on secretions of the alimentary canal and the glycogenic function of the liver (1813-1878)

From this reading “My father, Sir Bernard, was the third baronet of our house.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
coat noun US /koʊt/

an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors

From this reading “You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Frances noun US /ˈfrænsɪs/

plural of “france” — a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading “My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hangs noun US /hæŋz/

plural of “hang” — a special way of doing something

From this reading “You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mistress noun US /ˈmɪstrəs/

an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man

From this reading “My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mother's noun US /ˈmʌðərz/

possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading “You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
portrait noun US /ˈpɔːrtrət/

a word picture of a person's appearance and character

From this reading “You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.”

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.

hundred years noun + noun

In this reading “In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.”

14,971 times in 426,212 chapters
two hundred noun + noun

being ten more than one hundred ninety

In this reading “In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.”

28,875 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 59

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.

1674

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

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

Pending verification
agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
baronetnounUS /ˈberənət/

a member of the British order of honor; ranks below a baron but above a knight

From this reading My father, Sir Bernard, was the third baronet of our house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BernardnounUS /bərˈnɑːrd/

French physiologist noted for research on secretions of the alimentary canal and the glycogenic function of the liver (1813-1878)

From this reading My father, Sir Bernard, was the third baronet of our house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bornadjectiveUS /bɔːrn/

brought into existence

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
chimney-piece

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

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

Pending verification
coatnounUS /koʊt/

an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Dalrymple

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

From this reading My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.

Pending verification
dears

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

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

Pending verification
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
dining-roomnoun

a room used for dining

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading My father, Sir Bernard, was the third baronet of our house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FrancesnounUS /ˈfrænsɪs/

plural of “france” — a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GREENSLEEVES

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

From this reading LADY GREENSLEEVES' STORY.

Pending verification
hangsnounUS /hæŋz/

plural of “hang” — a special way of doing something

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LADYnounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading LADY GREENSLEEVES' STORY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MistressnounUS /ˈmɪstrəs/

an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man

From this reading My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/

possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mulberry-coloured

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

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

Pending verification
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.

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 My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading My father, Sir Bernard, was the third baronet of our house.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oppositeadjectiveUS /ˈɑːpəzət/

being directly across from each other; facing

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading My father, Sir Bernard, was the third baronet of our house.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
periwignoun

a wig for men that was fashionable in the 17th and 18th centuries

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
portraitnounUS /ˈpɔːrtrət/

a word picture of a person's appearance and character

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

Velmora curated lexicon
SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading My father, Sir Bernard, was the third baronet of our house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
STORYnounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading LADY GREENSLEEVES' STORY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thirdnounUS /θɜːrd/

one of three equal parts of a divisible whole

From this reading My father, Sir Bernard, was the third baronet of our house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

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 In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading You know his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did when I first remember it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born in this house.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 2 of The oak staircase by M. (Mary), active Lee holds 657 sentences, grouped into 132 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 oak staircase contain?

Chapter 2 holds 657 sentences of The oak staircase, unabridged, divided into 132 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The oak staircase by M. (Mary), active Lee exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 657 sentences, grouped into 132 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 oak staircase?

Work through the 132 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 132 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 oak staircase

Common questions about reading The oak staircase by M. (Mary), active Lee on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The oak staircase?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The oak staircase is used?

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

How long does The oak staircase take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The oak staircase section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of The oak staircase 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 oak staircase

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

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The oak staircase, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of The oak staircase, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The oak staircase, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.