Chapter 3 of The Two Marys is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Two Marys is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
She and I alone in the house! I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book. He who had brought us together was gone. The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise. No pretence of love had ever existed between us.
Chapter 3 of The Two Marys is here in full — 177 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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 state of being decayed or destroyed
From this reading “I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.”
past form of “exist” — have an existence, be extant
From this reading “No pretence of love had ever existed between us.”
give expression to
From this reading “I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.”
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading “I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.”
characterized by enmity or ill will
From this reading “The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.”
make a logical or causal connection
From this reading “The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.”
in other respects or ways
From this reading “The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.”
plural of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading “The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.”
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 “The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.”
In this reading “No pretence of love had ever existed between us.”
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 I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
Having no one else present.
From this reading She and I alone in the house!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She and I alone in the house!
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading He who had brought us together was gone.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
the state of being decayed or destroyed
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.
at any time
From this reading No pretence of love had ever existed between us.
past form of “exist” — have an existence, be extant
From this reading No pretence of love had ever existed between us.
give expression to
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
destroyed or killed
From this reading He who had brought us together was gone.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He who had brought us together was gone.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He who had brought us together was gone.
characterized by enmity or ill will
From this reading The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading She and I alone in the house!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading She and I alone in the house!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She and I alone in the house!
make a logical or causal connection
From this reading The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading No pretence of love had ever existed between us.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
not any; not one
From this reading No pretence of love had ever existed between us.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading No pretence of love had ever existed between us.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.
in other respects or ways
From this reading The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
a false or unsupportable quality
From this reading No pretence of love had ever existed between us.
on the contrary
From this reading The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She and I alone in the house!
plural of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She and I alone in the house!
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading He who had brought us together was gone.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He who had brought us together was gone.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He who had brought us together was gone.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The link between us was broken--we were two strangers, rather hostile to each other than otherwise.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
which person or people
From this reading He who had brought us together was gone.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
produce a literary work
From this reading I do not think that I could express our desolation more fully were I to write a whole book.
Chapter 3 of The Two Marys by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant holds 177 sentences, grouped into 36 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 177 sentences of The Two Marys, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Two Marys by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 177 sentences, grouped into 36 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 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 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 Two Marys by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4581 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52615 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #52615, 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 Two Marys section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Two Marys 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 Two Marys, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
