Chapter 2 of The Seats of the Mighty, Volume 3 is here in full — 487 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Seats of the Mighty, Volume 3 is here in full — 487 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Never," he said, "if you will oblige me with those letters." "For a man of genius you discern but slowly," retorted I. "Discern your amazing stubbornness?" he asked. "Why should you play at martyr, when your talent is commercial? You have no gifts for martyrdom but wooden tenacity.
Chapter 2 of The Seats of the Mighty, Volume 3 is here in full — 487 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/97 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
surprising greatly
From this reading “"Discern your amazing stubbornness?" he asked.”
connected with or engaged in or sponsored by or used in commerce or commercial enterprises
From this reading “"Why should you play at martyr, when your talent is commercial?”
detect with the senses
From this reading “"For a man of genius you discern but slowly," retorted I.”
one who suffers for the sake of principle
From this reading “"Why should you play at martyr, when your talent is commercial?”
death that is imposed because of the person's adherence of a religious faith or cause
From this reading “You have no gifts for martyrdom but wooden tenacity.”
force somebody to do something
From this reading “"Never," he said, "if you will oblige me with those letters."”
the trait of being difficult to handle or overcome
From this reading “"Discern your amazing stubbornness?" he asked.”
persistent determination
From this reading “You have no gifts for martyrdom but wooden tenacity.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "For a man of genius you discern but slowly," retorted I.
surprising greatly
From this reading "Discern your amazing stubbornness?" he asked.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Discern your amazing stubbornness?" he asked.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Why should you play at martyr, when your talent is commercial?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "For a man of genius you discern but slowly," retorted I.
connected with or engaged in or sponsored by or used in commerce or commercial enterprises
From this reading "Why should you play at martyr, when your talent is commercial?
detect with the senses
From this reading "For a man of genius you discern but slowly," retorted I.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "For a man of genius you discern but slowly," retorted I.
someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
From this reading "For a man of genius you discern but slowly," retorted I.
plural of “gift” — something acquired without compensation
From this reading You have no gifts for martyrdom but wooden tenacity.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading You have no gifts for martyrdom but wooden tenacity.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Never," he said, "if you will oblige me with those letters."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "For a man of genius you discern but slowly," retorted I.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "Never," he said, "if you will oblige me with those letters."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Why should you play at martyr, when your talent is commercial?
the literary culture
From this reading "Never," he said, "if you will oblige me with those letters."
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "For a man of genius you discern but slowly," retorted I.
one who suffers for the sake of principle
From this reading "Why should you play at martyr, when your talent is commercial?
death that is imposed because of the person's adherence of a religious faith or cause
From this reading You have no gifts for martyrdom but wooden tenacity.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Never," he said, "if you will oblige me with those letters."
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Never," he said, "if you will oblige me with those letters."
not any; not one
From this reading You have no gifts for martyrdom but wooden tenacity.
force somebody to do something
From this reading "Never," he said, "if you will oblige me with those letters."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "For a man of genius you discern but slowly," retorted I.
participate in games or sport
From this reading "Why should you play at martyr, when your talent is commercial?
past form of “retort” — answer back
From this reading "For a man of genius you discern but slowly," retorted I.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Never," he said, "if you will oblige me with those letters."
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "Why should you play at martyr, when your talent is commercial?
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading "For a man of genius you discern but slowly," retorted I.
the trait of being difficult to handle or overcome
From this reading "Discern your amazing stubbornness?" he asked.
natural abilities or qualities
From this reading "Why should you play at martyr, when your talent is commercial?
persistent determination
From this reading You have no gifts for martyrdom but wooden tenacity.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading "Never," he said, "if you will oblige me with those letters."
at the time that
From this reading "Why should you play at martyr, when your talent is commercial?
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why should you play at martyr, when your talent is commercial?
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Never," he said, "if you will oblige me with those letters."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Never," he said, "if you will oblige me with those letters."
made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood
From this reading You have no gifts for martyrdom but wooden tenacity.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Never," he said, "if you will oblige me with those letters."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Discern your amazing stubbornness?" he asked.
Chapter 2 of The Seats of the Mighty, Volume 3 by Gilbert Parker holds 487 sentences, grouped into 98 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.
Chapter 2 holds 487 sentences of The Seats of the Mighty, Volume 3, unabridged, divided into 98 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Seats of the Mighty, Volume 3 by Gilbert Parker exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 487 sentences, grouped into 98 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 98 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 98 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading The Seats of the Mighty, Volume 3 by Gilbert Parker on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1438 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6226 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6226, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 119 minutes of reading across 288 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Seats of the Mighty, Volume 3 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Seats of the Mighty, Volume 3 to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Seats of the Mighty, Volume 3, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
