The Vision of Desire

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Vision of Desire is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Margaret, -1948 Pedler • Curated US English Learning Edition

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THE BRABAZONS OF LORNE "Ann's the best pal Tony could possibly have, so, for goodness' sake, be content with that and don't get addling your brains by trying to marry her off to him.

Match-making isn't a man's job.

A female child of twelve could beat the cleverest man that's hatched at the game."

Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.

There was always a delightful definiteness both about her ideas and the expression of them.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter II Reading 1/33

The Vision of Desire

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Vision of Desire is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE BRABAZONS OF LORNE "Ann's the best pal Tony could possibly have, so, for goodness' sake, be content with that and don't get addling your brains by trying to marry her off to him.

Line 2

Match-making isn't a man's job.

Line 3

A female child of twelve could beat the cleverest man that's hatched at the game."

Line 4

Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.

Line 5

There was always a delightful definiteness both about her ideas and the expression of them.

Learner Dictionary

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.

brains noun US /breɪnz/

plural of “brain” — that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading “THE BRABAZONS OF LORNE "Ann's the best pal Tony could possibly have, so, for goodness' sake, be content with that and don't get addling your brains by trying to marry her off to him.”

female adjective US /ˈfiːmeɪl/

being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which offspring develop

From this reading “A female child of twelve could beat the cleverest man that's hatched at the game."”

fired adjective US /ˈfaɪərd/

having lost your job

From this reading “Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.”

hatched adjective US /hætʃt/

emerged from an egg

From this reading “A female child of twelve could beat the cleverest man that's hatched at the game."”

pal noun US /pæl/

a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities

precision noun US /priˈsɪʒən/

the quality of being reproducible in amount or performance

From this reading “Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.”

remarks noun US /rɪˈmɑːrks/

plural of “remark” — a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading “Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.”

wont noun US /woʊnt/

an established custom

From this reading “Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.”

All words in this reading · 67

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Match-making isn't a man's job.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading There was always a delightful definiteness both about her ideas and the expression of them.

addling

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE BRABAZONS OF LORNE "Ann's the best pal Tony could possibly have, so, for goodness' sake, be content with that and don't get addling your brains by trying to marry her off to him.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading There was always a delightful definiteness both about her ideas and the expression of them.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

Ann's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A female child of twelve could beat the cleverest man that's hatched at the game."

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

beatverbUS /biːt/

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading A female child of twelve could beat the cleverest man that's hatched at the game."

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading There was always a delightful definiteness both about her ideas and the expression of them.

BRABAZONS

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

brainsnounUS /breɪnz/

plural of “brain” — that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading A female child of twelve could beat the cleverest man that's hatched at the game."

cleverest

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A female child of twelve could beat the cleverest man that's hatched at the game."

contentnounUS /ˈkɑːntent/

(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

definitenessnoun

the quality of being predictable with great confidence

From this reading There was always a delightful definiteness both about her ideas and the expression of them.

delightfuladjectiveUS /dɪˈlaɪtfəl/

greatly pleasing or entertaining

From this reading There was always a delightful definiteness both about her ideas and the expression of them.

don't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

expressionnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃən/

the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading There was always a delightful definiteness both about her ideas and the expression of them.

femaleadjectiveUS /ˈfiːmeɪl/

being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which offspring develop

From this reading A female child of twelve could beat the cleverest man that's hatched at the game."

firedadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪərd/

having lost your job

From this reading Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

gamenounUS /ɡeɪm/

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading A female child of twelve could beat the cleverest man that's hatched at the game."

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

goodnessnounUS /ˈɡʊdnəs/

that which is pleasing or valuable or useful

Hallett

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.

hatchedadjectiveUS /hætʃt/

emerged from an egg

From this reading A female child of twelve could beat the cleverest man that's hatched at the game."

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

ideasnounUS /aɪˈdiːəz/

plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading There was always a delightful definiteness both about her ideas and the expression of them.

isn't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Match-making isn't a man's job.

jobnounUS /dʒɑːb/

the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money

From this reading Match-making isn't a man's job.

LadynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.

LORNE

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

machine-gun

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading A female child of twelve could beat the cleverest man that's hatched at the game."

man'snounUS /mænz/

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Match-making isn't a man's job.

marryverbUS /ˈmeri/

take in marriage

Match-making

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Match-making isn't a man's job.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

palnounUS /pæl/

a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities

possiblyadverbUS /ˈpɑːsəbli/

by chance

precisionnounUS /priˈsɪʒən/

the quality of being reproducible in amount or performance

From this reading Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.

remarksnounUS /rɪˈmɑːrks/

plural of “remark” — a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.

sakenounUS /seɪk/

a reason for wanting something done

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

Susan

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

that's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A female child of twelve could beat the cleverest man that's hatched at the game."

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading There was always a delightful definiteness both about her ideas and the expression of them.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was always a delightful definiteness both about her ideas and the expression of them.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

Tony

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

tryingadjectiveUS /ˈtraɪɪŋ/

hard to endure

twelvenounUS /twelv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one

From this reading A female child of twelve could beat the cleverest man that's hatched at the game."

vigournoun

forceful exertion

From this reading Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

wontnounUS /woʊnt/

an established custom

From this reading Lady Susan Hallett fired off her remarks, as was her wont, with the vigour and precision of a machine-gun.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

Chapter 2 of The Vision of Desire by Margaret, -1948 Pedler holds 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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.

What does chapter 2 of The Vision of Desire contain?

Chapter 2 holds 168 sentences of The Vision of Desire, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Vision of Desire by Margaret, -1948 Pedler exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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.

How do I study chapter 2 of The Vision of Desire?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Vision of Desire

Common questions about reading The Vision of Desire by Margaret, -1948 Pedler on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Vision of Desire?

Yes. All 7039 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7855 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Vision of Desire is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7855, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Vision of Desire take to read?

About 586 minutes of reading across 1408 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Vision of Desire section by section

How to work through The Vision of Desire section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 33 chapters of The Vision of Desire to begin.
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Vision of Desire

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Vision of Desire, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Sunshine: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vision of Desire; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Romped: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vision of Desire; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Grand': A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vision of Desire; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Montricheux: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vision of Desire; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter II · Chapter 2

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