Chapter 3 of The Second Violin is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Second Violin is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Celia--Celia--are you hurt?" cried Charlotte, and dashed down the stairs. There was no answer. With trembling hands she felt for her sister's head. It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious. But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.
Chapter 3 of The Second Violin is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading “It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious.”
the largest city in North Carolina; located in south central North Carolina
From this reading “"Celia--Celia--are you hurt?" cried Charlotte, and dashed down the stairs.”
having gaps or spaces
From this reading “"Celia--Celia--are you hurt?" cried Charlotte, and dashed down the stairs.”
past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading “But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.”
possessive form of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading “With trembling hands she felt for her sister's head.”
a shaky motion
From this reading “With trembling hands she felt for her sister's head.”
not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead
From this reading “It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious.”
a state lacking normal awareness of the self or environment
From this reading “But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.”
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.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Celia--Celia--are you hurt?" cried Charlotte, and dashed down the stairs.
react verbally
From this reading There was no answer.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Celia--Celia--are you hurt?" cried Charlotte, and dashed down the stairs.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Celia--Celia--are you hurt?" cried Charlotte, and dashed down the stairs.
the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious.
the largest city in North Carolina; located in south central North Carolina
From this reading "Celia--Celia--are you hurt?" cried Charlotte, and dashed down the stairs.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Celia--Celia--are you hurt?" cried Charlotte, and dashed down the stairs.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.
having gaps or spaces
From this reading "Celia--Celia--are you hurt?" cried Charlotte, and dashed down the stairs.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "Celia--Celia--are you hurt?" cried Charlotte, and dashed down the stairs.
past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading With trembling hands she felt for her sister's head.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading With trembling hands she felt for her sister's head.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading With trembling hands she felt for her sister's head.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading With trembling hands she felt for her sister's head.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading With trembling hands she felt for her sister's head.
be the source of pain
From this reading "Celia--Celia--are you hurt?" cried Charlotte, and dashed down the stairs.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no answer.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading With trembling hands she felt for her sister's head.
possessive form of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading With trembling hands she felt for her sister's head.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading "Celia--Celia--are you hurt?" cried Charlotte, and dashed down the stairs.
express in words
From this reading But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Celia--Celia--are you hurt?" cried Charlotte, and dashed down the stairs.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no answer.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.
a shaky motion
From this reading With trembling hands she felt for her sister's head.
not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead
From this reading It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious.
a state lacking normal awareness of the self or environment
From this reading But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading It lay close against the cellar wall, and she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was no answer.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading But whether there might be more to be feared than unconsciousness she could not tell in the dark.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With trembling hands she felt for her sister's head.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Celia--Celia--are you hurt?" cried Charlotte, and dashed down the stairs.
Chapter 3 of The Second Violin by Grace S. (Grace Smith) Richmond holds 204 sentences, grouped into 41 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 3 holds 204 sentences of The Second Violin, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Second Violin by Grace S. (Grace Smith) Richmond exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 204 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 3 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 Second Violin by Grace S. (Grace Smith) Richmond on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4582 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13209 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13209, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 381 minutes of reading across 917 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Second Violin section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Second Violin 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 Second Violin, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
