A Nest of Linnets

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of A Nest of Linnets is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Frank Frankfort Moore • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Tom frowned.

It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

"I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.

Narrator

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Chapter XII Reading 1/40

A Nest of Linnets Frank Frankfort Moore

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of A Nest of Linnets is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Tom frowned when Dick suggested to him--in a delicate way, so that he should not be frightened--that the beautiful Mrs. Abington was greatly interested in him and had been gracious enough to give Dick permission to present him to her. Tom frowned. It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art. Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it. "I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.

A Nest of Linnets

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of A Nest of Linnets is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

Tom frowned.

/tɑːm fraʊnd/

Line 3

It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

/ɪt wɑːz nɑːt ðæt hiː pleɪst ə fɪkˈtɪʃəs ˈvæljuː əˈpɑːn hɪmˈself ɪt wɑːz ˈoʊnli ðæt hiː kʊd nɑːt biː brɔːt tuː teɪk æn ˈɪntrəst ɪn ˈeniθɪŋ ˈaʊtˈsaɪd hɪz ɑːrt/

Line 4

Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

/ˈtɔːkɪŋ tuː ə ˈwʊmən ˌhaʊˈevər ˈbjuːtəfəl ʃiː maɪt biː hiː rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd æz ə weɪst ʌv taɪm ənˈles ʃiː tɔːkt tuː hɪm ʌv hɪz ɑːrt ɔːr ˈbetər stɪl ˈlɪsənd tuː hɪm waɪl hiː tɔːkt ʌv ɪt/

Line 5

"I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.

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.

delicate adjective US /ˈdeləkət/

exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury

From this reading “Tom frowned when Dick suggested to him--in a delicate way, so that he should not be frightened--that the beautiful Mrs. Abington was greatly interested in him and had been gracious enough to give Dick permission to present him to her.”

fictitious adjective US /fɪkˈtɪʃəs/

formed or conceived by the imagination

From this reading “It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.”

frowned verb US /fraʊnd/

past form of “frown” — look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval

gracious adjective US /ˈɡreɪʃəs/

characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit

hither adverb US /ˈhɪðər/

an old word meaning “to this place”

From this reading “"I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.”

permission noun US /pərˈmɪʃən/

approval to do something

regarded verb US /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading “Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.”

waste noun US /weɪst/

any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

greatly interested adverb + adjective

In this reading “Tom frowned when Dick suggested to him--in a delicate way, so that he should not be frightened--that the beautiful Mrs. Abington was greatly interested in him and had been gracious enough to give Dick permission to present him to her.”

came hither verb + particle counted as “come hither”

In this reading “"I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.”

take an interest verb + article + noun counted as “take … interest”

In this reading “It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.”

All words in this reading · 77

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 Tom frowned when Dick suggested to him--in a delicate way, so that he should not be frightened--that the beautiful Mrs. Abington was greatly interested in him and had been gracious enough to give Dick permission to present him to her.

Abington

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

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

Bach's

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

From this reading "I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

delicateadjectiveUS /ˈdeləkət/

exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury

DicknounUS /dɪk/

someone who is a detective

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

fictitiousadjectiveUS /fɪkˈtɪʃəs/

formed or conceived by the imagination

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

forte-pianonoun

a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds

From this reading "I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.

frightenedadjectiveUS /ˈfraɪtənd/

made afraid

frownedverbUS /fraʊnd/

past form of “frown” — look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

graciousadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪʃəs/

characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit

greatlyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪtli/

to an extraordinary extent or degree

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading "I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.

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

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

hitheradverbUS /ˈhɪðər/

an old word meaning “to this place”

From this reading "I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

interestedadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəstɪd/

having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading "I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

permissionnounUS /pərˈmɪʃən/

approval to do something

placedadjectiveUS /pleɪst/

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

playingnounUS /ˈpleɪɪŋ/

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading "I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

regardedverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I came hither only to hear Mr. Bach's playing on the forte-piano," he said.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

suggestedverbUS /səˈdʒestɪd/

past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

talkedverbUS /tɔːkt/

past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

TalkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

TomnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

unlessconjunctionUS /ənˈles/

except if; if not

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

valuenounUS /ˈvæljuː/

a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed

From this reading It was not that he placed a fictitious value upon himself; it was only that he could not be brought to take an interest in anything outside his art.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

wastenounUS /weɪst/

any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Talking to a woman, however beautiful she might be, he regarded as a waste of time, unless she talked to him of his art, or, better still, listened to him while he talked of it.

Chapter 12 of A Nest of Linnets by Frank Frankfort Moore holds 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 12 of A Nest of Linnets contain?

Chapter 12 holds 203 sentences of A Nest of Linnets, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of A Nest of Linnets by Frank Frankfort Moore exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 12 of A Nest of Linnets?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 5812 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #47195 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #47195, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 484 minutes of reading across 1163 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Nest of Linnets

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Nest of Linnets, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Frontispiece: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Nest of Linnets; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter XII

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