Chapter 2 of The Unspeakable Gentleman is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Unspeakable Gentleman is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Your brother-in-law," I replied, "My Uncle Jason." "Dieu!" cried my father, "but I grow careless." He was looking ruefully at his lapel. Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin. "Another coat ruined," he observed, and the raillery was gone from his voice.
Chapter 2 of The Unspeakable Gentleman is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 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.
a brother by marriage
From this reading “"Your brother-in-law," I replied, "My Uncle Jason."”
marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful
From this reading “"Dieu!" cried my father, "but I grow careless."”
(Greek mythology) the husband of Medea and leader of the Argonauts who sailed in quest of the Golden Fleece
From this reading “"Your brother-in-law," I replied, "My Uncle Jason."”
lap at the front of a coat; continuation of the coat collar
From this reading “He was looking ruefully at his lapel.”
let for money
From this reading “Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.”
in a rueful manner
From this reading “He was looking ruefully at his lapel.”
a smooth fabric of silk or rayon; has a glossy face and a dull back
From this reading “Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.”
informal terms for clothing
From this reading “Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.”
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 Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading "Another coat ruined," he observed, and the raillery was gone from his voice.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He was looking ruefully at his lapel.
a brother by marriage
From this reading "Your brother-in-law," I replied, "My Uncle Jason."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Dieu!" cried my father, "but I grow careless."
marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful
From this reading "Dieu!" cried my father, "but I grow careless."
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading "Another coat ruined," he observed, and the raillery was gone from his voice.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Dieu!" cried my father, "but I grow careless."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Dieu!" cried my father, "but I grow careless."
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading "Dieu!" cried my father, "but I grow careless."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Another coat ruined," he observed, and the raillery was gone from his voice.
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.
destroyed or killed
From this reading "Another coat ruined," he observed, and the raillery was gone from his voice.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading "Dieu!" cried my father, "but I grow careless."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was looking ruefully at his lapel.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was looking ruefully at his lapel.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Your brother-in-law," I replied, "My Uncle Jason."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.
(Greek mythology) the husband of Medea and leader of the Argonauts who sailed in quest of the Golden Fleece
From this reading "Your brother-in-law," I replied, "My Uncle Jason."
lap at the front of a coat; continuation of the coat collar
From this reading He was looking ruefully at his lapel.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading He was looking ruefully at his lapel.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Your brother-in-law," I replied, "My Uncle Jason."
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading "Another coat ruined," he observed, and the raillery was gone from his voice.
light teasing repartee
From this reading "Another coat ruined," he observed, and the raillery was gone from his voice.
let for money
From this reading Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "Your brother-in-law," I replied, "My Uncle Jason."
in a rueful manner
From this reading He was looking ruefully at his lapel.
destroyed physically or morally
From this reading "Another coat ruined," he observed, and the raillery was gone from his voice.
a smooth fabric of silk or rayon; has a glossy face and a dull back
From this reading Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
From this reading Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.
informal terms for clothing
From this reading Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading "Your brother-in-law," I replied, "My Uncle Jason."
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "Another coat ruined," he observed, and the raillery was gone from his voice.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was looking ruefully at his lapel.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Somehow the threads had given way, and there was a rent in the gray satin.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Your brother-in-law," I replied, "My Uncle Jason."
Chapter 2 of The Unspeakable Gentleman by John P. (John Phillips) Marquand holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 415 sentences of The Unspeakable Gentleman, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Unspeakable Gentleman by John P. (John Phillips) Marquand exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 Unspeakable Gentleman by John P. (John Phillips) Marquand on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4217 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10109 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10109, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 351 minutes of reading across 844 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Unspeakable Gentleman section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Unspeakable Gentleman 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 Unspeakable Gentleman, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
