Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Purcell Papers — Volume 2
The Purcell Papers — Volume 2

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The Purcell Papers — Volume 2 is here in full — 130 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Purcell Papers — Volume 2
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.
'I saw him,' said she.
'He's here!
I cannot be deceived--I know him.
He's by me--he's with me--he's in the 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 Purcell Papers — Volume 2

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The Purcell Papers — Volume 2 is here in full — 130 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.
/ə ˈsɪkənɪŋ dred keɪm əˈpɑːn hɪm ənd ðə koʊld ˌpɜːrspərˈeɪʃən broʊk aʊt ɪn ˈhevi drɑːps əˈpɑːn hɪz ˈfɔːrhed nɔːr wɑːz hiː mɔːr kəmˈpoʊzd wen hiː hɜːrd ðə ˌɪnˈkriːst ˈɜːrdʒənsi ðə ˈæɡ.ə.ni ʌv enˈtriːti wɪð wɪtʃ roʊz ˌɪmˈplɔːrd ðem nɑːt tuː liːv hɜːr fɔːr ə ˈmoʊmənt/
Line 2
'I saw him,' said she.
/aɪ sɔː hɪm sed ʃiː/
Line 3
'He's here!
Line 4
I cannot be deceived--I know him.
Line 5
He's by me--he's with me--he's in the 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.

composed adjective US /kəmˈpoʊzd/

serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress

From this reading “A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.”

deceived verb US /dɪˈsiːvd/

past form of “deceive” — be false to; be dishonest with

From this reading “I cannot be deceived--I know him.”

drops noun US /drɑːps/

plural of “drop” — a shape that is spherical and small

From this reading “A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.”

entreaty noun US /enˈtriːti/

earnest or urgent request

From this reading “A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.”

implored verb US /ˌɪmˈplɔːrd/

past form of “implore” — call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading “A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.”

perspiration noun US /ˌpɜːrspərˈeɪʃən/

salty fluid secreted by sweat glands

From this reading “A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.”

sickening adjective US /ˈsɪkənɪŋ/

causing or able to cause nausea

From this reading “A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.”

urgency noun US /ˈɜːrdʒənsi/

the state of being urgent; an earnest and insistent necessity

From this reading “A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.”

All words in this reading · 53

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 sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

agonynounUS /ˈæɡ.ə.ni/

Extreme physical or mental suffering; intense anguish.

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading I cannot be deceived--I know him.

brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He's by me--he's with me--he's in the room.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

cannot

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

From this reading I cannot be deceived--I know him.

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

composedadjectiveUS /kəmˈpoʊzd/

serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

deceivedverbUS /dɪˈsiːvd/

past form of “deceive” — be false to; be dishonest with

From this reading I cannot be deceived--I know him.

dreadnounUS /dred/

fearful expectation or anticipation

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

dropsnounUS /drɑːps/

plural of “drop” — a shape that is spherical and small

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

entreatynounUS /enˈtriːti/

earnest or urgent request

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

foreheadnounUS /ˈfɔːrhed/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

He's

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

From this reading 'He's here!

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading 'He's here!

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading 'I saw him,' said she.

imploredverbUS /ˌɪmˈplɔːrd/

past form of “implore” — call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

increasedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkriːst/

made greater in size or amount or degree

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading I cannot be deceived--I know him.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading He's by me--he's with me--he's in the room.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

perspirationnounUS /ˌpɜːrspərˈeɪʃən/

salty fluid secreted by sweat glands

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading He's by me--he's with me--he's in the room.

RosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading 'I saw him,' said she.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading 'I saw him,' said she.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading 'I saw him,' said she.

sickeningadjectiveUS /ˈsɪkənɪŋ/

causing or able to cause nausea

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

urgencynounUS /ˈɜːrdʒənsi/

the state of being urgent; an earnest and insistent necessity

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading A sickening dread came upon him, and the cold perspiration broke out in heavy drops upon his forehead; nor was he more composed when he heard the increased urgency, the agony of entreaty, with which Rose implored them not to leave her for a moment.

Chapter 9 of The Purcell Papers — Volume 2 by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu holds 130 sentences, grouped into 26 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.

What does chapter 9 of The Purcell Papers — Volume 2 contain?

Chapter 9 holds 130 sentences of The Purcell Papers — Volume 2, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of The Purcell Papers — Volume 2 by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 130 sentences, grouped into 26 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 9 of The Purcell Papers — Volume 2?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Purcell Papers — Volume 2

Common questions about reading The Purcell Papers — Volume 2 by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Purcell Papers — Volume 2?

Yes. All 1162 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #510 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Purcell Papers — Volume 2 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #510, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Purcell Papers — Volume 2 take to read?

About 96 minutes of reading across 233 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Purcell Papers — Volume 2 section by section

How to work through The Purcell Papers — Volume 2 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Purcell Papers — Volume 2 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 Purcell Papers — Volume 2

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Purcell Papers — Volume 2, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Purcell
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Purcell Papers — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Papers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Purcell Papers — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Purcell Papers — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Uncle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Purcell Papers — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.