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The Proof of the Pudding
The Proof of the Pudding

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Proof of the Pudding is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Meredith Nicholson • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Proof of the Pudding
Context Illustration Reading 1/51 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE AFFAIRS OF MRS.
COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.
“Nan doesn’t seem to be responding to encores,” Eaton remarked.
“She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!
It’s outrageous the way those people use her.”
0:00 / 0:00
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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 Proof of the Pudding

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Proof of the Pudding is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/51 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE AFFAIRS OF MRS.
/ðə əˈferz ʌv ˈmɪsɪz/
Line 2
COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.
Line 3
“Nan doesn’t seem to be responding to encores,” Eaton remarked.
Line 4
“She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!
Line 5
It’s outrageous the way those people use her.”

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.

bored adjective US /bɔːrd/

tired of the world

From this reading ““She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
disappearance noun US /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/

the act of leaving secretly or without explanation

From this reading “COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
encores noun US /ˈɑːnkɔːrz/

plural of “encore” — an extra or repeated performance; usually given in response to audience demand

From this reading ““Nan doesn’t seem to be responding to encores,” Eaton remarked.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
outrageous adjective US /aʊˈtreɪdʒəs/

grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror

From this reading “It’s outrageous the way those people use her.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
prefers verb US /prəˈfɜːrz/

third-person singular of “prefer” — like better; value more highly

From this reading ““She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
responding verb US /rɪˈspɑːndɪŋ/

-ing form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something

From this reading ““Nan doesn’t seem to be responding to encores,” Eaton remarked.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sulk noun US /sʌlk/

a mood or display of sullen aloofness or withdrawal

From this reading ““She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
veranda noun US /vərˈændə/

a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)

From this reading “COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.”

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.

quiet corner adjective + noun

In this reading “COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.”

844 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 54

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 COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AFFAIRSnounUS /əˈferz/

matters of personal concern

From this reading THE AFFAIRS OF MRS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading “She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!

Velmora curated lexicon
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “Nan doesn’t seem to be responding to encores,” Eaton remarked.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
boredadjectiveUS /bɔːrd/

tired of the world

From this reading “She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Cecil

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

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

Pending verification
clubnounUS /klʌb/

a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
consciousadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnʃəs/

intentionally conceived

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
COPELAND

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

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

Pending verification
cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
disappearancenounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/

the act of leaving secretly or without explanation

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doesn't

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

From this reading “Nan doesn’t seem to be responding to encores,” Eaton remarked.

Pending verification
Eaton

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

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

Pending verification
encoresnounUS /ˈɑːnkɔːrz/

plural of “encore” — an extra or repeated performance; usually given in response to audience demand

From this reading “Nan doesn’t seem to be responding to encores,” Eaton remarked.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
exitnounUS /ˈeɡzɪt/

an opening that permits escape or release

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FannynounUS /ˈfæni/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Farley's

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

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

Pending verification
gayety

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

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

Pending verification
goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading “She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!

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

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

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading It’s outrageous the way those people use her.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hurriedadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːrid/

moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
It's

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

From this reading It’s outrageous the way those people use her.”

Pending verification
JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
kidverbUS /kɪd/

tell false information to for fun

From this reading “She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Kinney's

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

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

Pending verification
MRSnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading THE AFFAIRS OF MRS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NannounUS /næn/

your grandmother

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
noisyadjectiveUS /ˈnɔɪzi/

full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
observedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɜːrvd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE AFFAIRS OF MRS.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading “She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
outrageousadjectiveUS /aʊˈtreɪdʒəs/

grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror

From this reading It’s outrageous the way those people use her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading It’s outrageous the way those people use her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading “She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
prefersverbUS /prəˈfɜːrz/

third-person singular of “prefer” — like better; value more highly

From this reading “She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
probablyadverbUS /ˈprɑːbəbliː/

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading “She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
remarkedverbUS /rɪˈmɑːrkt/

past form of “remark” — make mention of

From this reading “Nan doesn’t seem to be responding to encores,” Eaton remarked.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
respondingverbUS /rɪˈspɑːndɪŋ/

-ing form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something

From this reading “Nan doesn’t seem to be responding to encores,” Eaton remarked.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading “Nan doesn’t seem to be responding to encores,” Eaton remarked.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
She's

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

From this reading “She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!

Pending verification
sulknounUS /sʌlk/

a mood or display of sullen aloofness or withdrawal

From this reading “She’s gone off to sulk--bored, probably; prefers to be alone, poor kid!

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 THE AFFAIRS OF MRS.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading It’s outrageous the way those people use her.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading “Nan doesn’t seem to be responding to encores,” Eaton remarked.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading It’s outrageous the way those people use her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
verandanounUS /vərˈændə/

a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)

From this reading COPELAND In a quiet corner of the club veranda Fanny Copeland and John Cecil Eaton had been conscious of the noisy gayety of Mrs. Kinney’s party, and they observed Nan Farley’s hurried exit and disappearance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading It’s outrageous the way those people use her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 2 of The Proof of the Pudding by Meredith Nicholson holds 256 sentences, grouped into 52 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 Proof of the Pudding contain?

Chapter 2 holds 256 sentences of The Proof of the Pudding, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Proof of the Pudding by Meredith Nicholson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 256 sentences, grouped into 52 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 Proof of the Pudding?

Work through the 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 52 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 Proof of the Pudding

Common questions about reading The Proof of the Pudding by Meredith Nicholson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Proof of the Pudding?

Yes. All 5333 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #66354 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Proof of the Pudding is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #66354, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Proof of the Pudding take to read?

About 444 minutes of reading across 1067 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Proof of the Pudding section by section

How to work through The Proof of the Pudding section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Proof of the Pudding

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Proof of the Pudding, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Meredith
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Proof of the Pudding; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nicholson
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Proof of the Pudding; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Proof
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Proof of the Pudding; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pudding
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Proof of the Pudding; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.