Chapter 2 of The Three Fates is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Three Fates is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“It is very sad,” observed Mrs. Sherrington Trimm, thoughtfully. “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls! I am so glad they are rich, at least. You ought to know them.” “Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.
Chapter 2 of The Three Fates is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/46 · 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 season when the leaves fall from the trees
From this reading ““Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!”
the act of consuming liquids
From this reading ““Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.”
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading ““Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.”
no person; not anyone
From this reading ““Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!”
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading ““It is very sad,” observed Mrs. Sherrington Trimm, thoughtfully.”
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading ““Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.”
in a thoughtful manner
From this reading ““It is very sad,” observed Mrs. Sherrington Trimm, thoughtfully.”
someone who visits
From this reading ““Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.”
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.
In this reading ““Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.”
In this reading ““Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!”
In this reading ““Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!”
In this reading ““Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!”
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.
Having no one else present.
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am so glad they are rich, at least.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I am so glad they are rich, at least.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
the season when the leaves fall from the trees
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
the act of consuming liquids
From this reading “Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading “Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading I am so glad they are rich, at least.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I am so glad they are rich, at least.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It is very sad,” observed Mrs. Sherrington Trimm, thoughtfully.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It is very sad,” observed Mrs. Sherrington Trimm, thoughtfully.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading You ought to know them.”
immediately past
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading I am so glad they are rich, at least.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading “It is very sad,” observed Mrs. Sherrington Trimm, thoughtfully.
no person; not anyone
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading “It is very sad,” observed Mrs. Sherrington Trimm, thoughtfully.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading “Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading You ought to know them.”
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
possessing material wealth
From this reading I am so glad they are rich, at least.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading “It is very sad,” observed Mrs. Sherrington Trimm, thoughtfully.
English physiologist who conducted research on reflex action (1857-1952)
From this reading “It is very sad,” observed Mrs. Sherrington Trimm, thoughtfully.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading “Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I am so glad they are rich, at least.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading “Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
in a thoughtful manner
From this reading “It is very sad,” observed Mrs. Sherrington Trimm, thoughtfully.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading You ought to know them.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It is very sad,” observed Mrs. Sherrington Trimm, thoughtfully.
precisely as stated
From this reading “It is very sad,” observed Mrs. Sherrington Trimm, thoughtfully.
someone who visits
From this reading “Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.
which person or people
From this reading “Ought I?” asked the visitor who was drinking his tea on the other side of the fireplace.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “Their mother died in London last autumn, and now they are quite alone—nobody with them but an aunt, or something like that—poor girls!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You ought to know them.”
Chapter 2 of The Three Fates by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford holds 234 sentences, grouped into 47 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 234 sentences of The Three Fates, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Three Fates by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 234 sentences, grouped into 47 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 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 47 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 Three Fates by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8086 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53486 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53486, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1618 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Three Fates section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Three Fates 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 Three Fates, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
