Chapter 18 of The Swindler and Other Stories is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of The Swindler and Other Stories is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly. "My dear Chirpy!" "Yes," she said with vehemence. "Why don't you take what you want? I--I should respect you then."
Chapter 18 of The Swindler and Other Stories is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
(birds or insects) characterized by or tending to chirp
From this reading “"My dear Chirpy!"”
of a dreadful kind
From this reading “"I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.”
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading “"I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.”
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading “I--I should respect you then."”
happening unexpectedly
From this reading “"I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.”
intensity or forcefulness of expression
From this reading “"Yes," she said with vehemence.”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “"Why don't you take what you want?”
hope for; have a wish
From this reading “"I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.”
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 with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.
(birds or insects) characterized by or tending to chirp
From this reading "My dear Chirpy!"
dearly loved
From this reading "My dear Chirpy!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why don't you take what you want?
of a dreadful kind
From this reading "I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My dear Chirpy!"
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading "I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading I--I should respect you then."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading I--I should respect you then."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading "I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.
carry out
From this reading "Why don't you take what you want?
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading I--I should respect you then."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.
intensity or forcefulness of expression
From this reading "Yes," she said with vehemence.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "Why don't you take what you want?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Why don't you take what you want?
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why don't you take what you want?
hope for; have a wish
From this reading "I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Yes," she said with vehemence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes," she said with vehemence.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I wish you wouldn't be so horribly nice to me," she said suddenly.
Chapter 18 of The Swindler and Other Stories by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 18 holds 418 sentences of The Swindler and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of The Swindler and Other Stories by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 18 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 Swindler and Other Stories by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8523 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18644 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18644, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1705 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Swindler and Other Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Swindler and Other Stories 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 Swindler and Other Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
