Chapter 2 of This Man's Wife is here in full — 411 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 This Man's Wife is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects. It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney. "Them swords sharp?" "As razors, Mr Gemp." "Are they now?
Chapter 2 of This Man's Wife is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
From this reading “It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.”
a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building
From this reading “It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.”
someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime
From this reading “It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.”
plural of “defect” — an imperfection in a bodily system
From this reading “Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects.”
of or relating to the teeth
From this reading “Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects.”
curved down like an eagle's beak
From this reading “It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.”
plural of “razor” — edge tool used in shaving
From this reading “"As razors, Mr Gemp."”
plural of “sword” — a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard
From this reading “"Them swords sharp?"”
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.
anew
In this reading “It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.”
In this reading “Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects.”
In this reading “It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.”
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.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects.
anew
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Are they now?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "As razors, Mr Gemp."
noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
plural of “defect” — an imperfection in a bodily system
From this reading Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects.
of or relating to the teeth
From this reading Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "As razors, Mr Gemp."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
curved down like an eagle's beak
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
the sound of laughing
From this reading Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects.
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Are they now?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects.
on one occasion
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects.
on the contrary
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
plural of “razor” — edge tool used in shaving
From this reading "As razors, Mr Gemp."
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading "Them swords sharp?"
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
plural of “sword” — a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard
From this reading "Them swords sharp?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "Them swords sharp?"
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Are they now?
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects.
Chapter 2 of This Man's Wife by George Manville Fenn holds 411 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 411 sentences of This Man's Wife, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of This Man's Wife by George Manville Fenn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 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.
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Yes. All 10274 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40676 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40676, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2055 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through This Man's Wife section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of This Man's Wife 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 This Man's Wife, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
