Chapter 2 of The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?' 'I see no reason to suppose that the man was drowned. If able to swim he could easily have reached the river bank. If unable to swim, why should he attempt it encumbered by the box?' 'You believe he escaped, then?'
Chapter 2 of The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading “'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'”
past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading “'I see no reason to suppose that the man was drowned.”
-ing form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading “'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'”
loaded to excess or impeded by a heavy load
From this reading “If unable to swim, why should he attempt it encumbered by the box?'”
not in a forthright manner
From this reading “'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'”
worthy of or requiring responsibility or trust; or held accountable
From this reading “'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'”
travel through water
From this reading “If able to swim he could easily have reached the river bank.”
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading “If unable to swim, why should he attempt it encumbered by the box?'”
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.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading If able to swim he could easily have reached the river bank.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading 'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading 'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading If unable to swim, why should he attempt it encumbered by the box?'
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading If able to swim he could easily have reached the river bank.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading 'You believe he escaped, then?'
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading If unable to swim, why should he attempt it encumbered by the box?'
showing who or what does the action
From this reading If unable to swim, why should he attempt it encumbered by the box?'
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading If able to swim he could easily have reached the river bank.
past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading 'I see no reason to suppose that the man was drowned.
-ing form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading 'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading If able to swim he could easily have reached the river bank.
loaded to excess or impeded by a heavy load
From this reading If unable to swim, why should he attempt it encumbered by the box?'
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading 'You believe he escaped, then?'
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading 'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading If able to swim he could easily have reached the river bank.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If able to swim he could easily have reached the river bank.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading 'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 'I see no reason to suppose that the man was drowned.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If able to swim he could easily have reached the river bank.
not in a forthright manner
From this reading 'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If unable to swim, why should he attempt it encumbered by the box?'
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 'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading 'I see no reason to suppose that the man was drowned.
not any; not one
From this reading 'I see no reason to suppose that the man was drowned.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading If able to swim he could easily have reached the river bank.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading 'I see no reason to suppose that the man was drowned.
worthy of or requiring responsibility or trust; or held accountable
From this reading 'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading If able to swim he could easily have reached the river bank.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading 'I see no reason to suppose that the man was drowned.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading If unable to swim, why should he attempt it encumbered by the box?'
express a supposition
From this reading 'I see no reason to suppose that the man was drowned.
travel through water
From this reading If able to swim he could easily have reached the river bank.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading 'I see no reason to suppose that the man was drowned.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading 'I see no reason to suppose that the man was drowned.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading 'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading 'I see no reason to suppose that the man was drowned.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading If unable to swim, why should he attempt it encumbered by the box?'
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading 'I see no reason to suppose that the man was drowned.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading If unable to swim, why should he attempt it encumbered by the box?'
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading 'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading 'You admit yourself, then, indirectly responsible for his drowning, at least?'
Chapter 2 of The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont by Robert Barr holds 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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 437 sentences of The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont by Robert Barr exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 Triumphs of Eugène Valmont by Robert Barr on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4782 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19369 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #19369, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 398 minutes of reading across 957 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont 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 Triumphs of Eugène Valmont, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
