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The Orchard Secret
The Orchard Secret

Chapter II · Fruit-Cake

Chapter II of The Orchard Secret, “Fruit-Cake,” is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Orchard Secret
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.
There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.
"There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.
"A swim in that pool!
Don't make me laugh!
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 Orchard Secret

Chapter II · Fruit-Cake

Chapter II of The Orchard Secret, “Fruit-Cake,” is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.
Line 2
There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.
/ðer wɑːz ə smaɪl ɑːn hɜːr lɪps bʌt ðer wɑːz noʊ mɜːrθ ɪn hɜːr wɜːrdz æz ʃiː went ɑːn/
Line 3
"There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.
Line 4
"A swim in that pool!
/ə swɪm ɪn ðæt puːl/
Line 5
Don't make me laugh!

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.

blonde noun US /blɑːnd/

a person with fair skin and hair

From this reading “"There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.”

deference noun US /ˈdefərəns/

a courteous expression (by word or deed) of esteem or regard

From this reading “Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.”

freshmen noun US /ˈfreʃmɪn/

plural of “freshman” — a first-year undergraduate

From this reading “Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.”

mirth noun US /mɜːrθ/

great merriment

From this reading “There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.”

sophomore noun US /ˈsɑːfmɔːr/

a second-year undergraduate

From this reading “Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.”

surmise verb US /sərˈmaɪz/

infer from incomplete evidence

From this reading “"There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.”

Terry noun US /ˈteri/

English actress (1847-1928)

From this reading “Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.”

vindictiveness noun US /vɪnˈdɪktɪvnəs/

a malevolent desire for revenge

From this reading “"There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.”

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.

looked at verb + particle counted as “look at”

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.”

went on verb + particle counted as “go on”

continue a certain state, condition, or activity

In this reading “There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.”

in the world preposition + article + noun counted as “in … world”

In this reading “"There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.”

All words in this reading · 57

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 Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

Arden

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

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

blondenounUS /blɑːnd/

a person with fair skin and hair

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

deferencenounUS /ˈdefərəns/

a courteous expression (by word or deed) of esteem or regard

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

Don't

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

From this reading Don't make me laugh!

dueadjectiveUS /duː/

owed and payable immediately or on demand

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

Everett

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

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

exultationnoun

a feeling of extreme joy

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

freshmennounUS /ˈfreʃmɪn/

plural of “freshman” — a first-year undergraduate

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

guessedverbUS /ɡest/

past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.

laughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading Don't make me laugh!

lipsnounUS /lɪps/

plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

From this reading There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Don't make me laugh!

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Don't make me laugh!

mirthnounUS /mɜːrθ/

great merriment

From this reading There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.

nobodypronounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/

no person; not anyone

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

poolnounUS /puːl/

an excavation that is (usually) filled with water

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.

Sim

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

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

smileverbUS /smaɪl/

change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.

sophomorenounUS /ˈsɑːfmɔːr/

a second-year undergraduate

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

surmiseverbUS /sərˈmaɪz/

infer from incomplete evidence

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

swimverbUS /swɪm/

travel through water

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

TerrynounUS /ˈteri/

English actress (1847-1928)

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.

There's

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

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

tonesnounUS /toʊnz/

plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

vindictivenessnounUS /vɪnˈdɪktɪvnəs/

a malevolent desire for revenge

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

WaitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Waiting, with the deference they, as freshmen, guessed was due a sophomore, Arden, Terry, and Sim looked at Miss Everett.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading There was a smile on her lips, but there was no mirth in her words as she went on.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading "There's nobody in the world who could have a swim in that pool!" said the tall blonde girl, and one could only surmise whether there was exultation or vindictiveness in her tones.

Chapter 2 of The Orchard Secret by Cleo F. Garis holds 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 Orchard Secret contain?

Chapter 2 holds 178 sentences of The Orchard Secret, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Orchard Secret by Cleo F. Garis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 Orchard Secret?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 Orchard Secret

Common questions about reading The Orchard Secret by Cleo F. Garis on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Orchard Secret?

Yes. All 4247 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40725 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Orchard Secret is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40725, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Orchard Secret take to read?

About 353 minutes of reading across 850 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Orchard Secret section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Orchard Secret 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 Orchard Secret

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

Orchard
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Orchard Secret; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Secret
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Orchard Secret; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mystery
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Orchard Secret; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jockey
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Orchard Secret; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.