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Barchester Towers
Barchester Towers

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Barchester Towers is here in full — 226 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/45 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BABY WORSHIP 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' said, or sung Eleanor Bold.
'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' continued Mary Bold, taking up the second part in the concerted piece.
The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.
'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum: hasn't he got lovely legs?' said the rapturous mother.
'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.
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Barchester Towers

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Barchester Towers is here in full — 226 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/45 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BABY WORSHIP 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' said, or sung Eleanor Bold.
Line 2
'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' continued Mary Bold, taking up the second part in the concerted piece.
Line 3
The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.
/ðə ˈoʊnli ˈɑːdiəns æt ðə ˈkɑːnsərt wɑːz ðə ˈbeɪbi huː ˌhaʊˈevər ɡeɪv sʌtʃ voʊˈsɪfərəs əˈplɔːz ðæt ðə pərˈfɔːrmərz prɪˈzuːmɪŋ ɪt tuː əˈmaʊnt tuː æn ˈɑːnkɔːr kəˈmenst əˈɡen/
Line 4
'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum: hasn't he got lovely legs?' said the rapturous mother.
Line 5
'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

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.

concerted adjective US /kənˈsɜːrtəd/

involving the joint activity of two or more

From this reading “'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' continued Mary Bold, taking up the second part in the concerted piece.”

diddle verb US /ˈdɪdəl/

deprive of by deceit

From this reading “BABY WORSHIP 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' said, or sung Eleanor Bold.”

encore noun US /ˈɑːnkɔːr/

an extra or repeated performance; usually given in response to audience demand

From this reading “The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.”

performers noun US /pərˈfɔːrmərz/

plural of “performer” — an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience

From this reading “The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.”

presuming verb US /prɪˈzuːmɪŋ/

-ing form of “presume” — take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof

From this reading “The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.”

rapturous adjective US /ˈræptʃərəs/

feeling great rapture or delight

From this reading “'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum: hasn't he got lovely legs?' said the rapturous mother.”

simmered verb US /ˈsɪmərd/

past form of “simmer” — boil slowly at low temperature

From this reading “'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.”

vociferous adjective US /voʊˈsɪfərəs/

conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry

From this reading “The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.”

All words in this reading · 62

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

amountnounUS /əˈmaʊnt/

a quantity of money

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

applausenounUS /əˈplɔːz/

a demonstration of approval by clapping the hands together

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

audiencenounUS /ˈɑːdiəns/

a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

BABYnounUS /ˈbeɪbi/

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading BABY WORSHIP 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' said, or sung Eleanor Bold.

BoldadjectiveUS /boʊld/

fearless and daring

From this reading BABY WORSHIP 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' said, or sung Eleanor Bold.

buryingnounUS /ˈberiɪŋ/

concealing something under the ground

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

commencedverbUS /kəˈmenst/

past form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

concertnounUS /ˈkɑːnsərt/

a performance of music by players or singers not involving theatrical staging

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

concertedadjectiveUS /kənˈsɜːrtəd/

involving the joint activity of two or more

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' continued Mary Bold, taking up the second part in the concerted piece.

continuedadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːd/

without stop or interruption

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' continued Mary Bold, taking up the second part in the concerted piece.

DiddleverbUS /ˈdɪdəl/

deprive of by deceit

From this reading BABY WORSHIP 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' said, or sung Eleanor Bold.

dum

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

From this reading BABY WORSHIP 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' said, or sung Eleanor Bold.

Eleanor

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

From this reading BABY WORSHIP 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' said, or sung Eleanor Bold.

encorenounUS /ˈɑːnkɔːr/

an extra or repeated performance; usually given in response to audience demand

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

fatadjectiveUS /fæt/

having an (over)abundance of flesh

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

fellow'snounUS /ˈfeloʊz/

possessive form of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum: hasn't he got lovely legs?' said the rapturous mother.

H'm

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

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

hasn't

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

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum: hasn't he got lovely legs?' said the rapturous mother.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum: hasn't he got lovely legs?' said the rapturous mother.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' continued Mary Bold, taking up the second part in the concerted piece.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

kissingnounUS /ˈkɪsɪŋ/

affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

legsnounUS /leɡz/

staying power

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum: hasn't he got lovely legs?' said the rapturous mother.

lipsnounUS /lɪps/

plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

lovelyadjectiveUS /ˈlʌvli/

appealing to the emotions as well as the eye

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum: hasn't he got lovely legs?' said the rapturous mother.

mnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

MarynounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' continued Mary Bold, taking up the second part in the concerted piece.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum: hasn't he got lovely legs?' said the rapturous mother.

necknounUS /nek/

the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading BABY WORSHIP 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' said, or sung Eleanor Bold.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' continued Mary Bold, taking up the second part in the concerted piece.

performersnounUS /pərˈfɔːrmərz/

plural of “performer” — an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

piecenounUS /piːs/

a separate part of a whole

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' continued Mary Bold, taking up the second part in the concerted piece.

presumingverbUS /prɪˈzuːmɪŋ/

-ing form of “presume” — take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

rapturousadjectiveUS /ˈræptʃərəs/

feeling great rapture or delight

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum: hasn't he got lovely legs?' said the rapturous mother.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading BABY WORSHIP 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' said, or sung Eleanor Bold.

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' continued Mary Bold, taking up the second part in the concerted piece.

simmeredverbUS /ˈsɪmərd/

past form of “simmer” — boil slowly at low temperature

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

sungnounUS /sʌŋ/

the imperial dynasty of China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy

From this reading BABY WORSHIP 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' said, or sung Eleanor Bold.

takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' continued Mary Bold, taking up the second part in the concerted piece.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' continued Mary Bold, taking up the second part in the concerted piece.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' continued Mary Bold, taking up the second part in the concerted piece.

vociferousadjectiveUS /voʊˈsɪfərəs/

conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading 'H'm, 'm, 'm, 'm, 'm,' simmered Mary, burying her lips in the little fellow's fat neck, by way of kissing him.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The only audience at the concert was the baby, who however gave such vociferous applause, that the performers presuming it to amount to an encore, commenced again.

WORSHIPverbUS /ˈwɜːrʃəp/

love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol

From this reading BABY WORSHIP 'Diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle, dum, dum, dum,' said, or sung Eleanor Bold.

Chapter 12 of Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope holds 226 sentences, grouped into 46 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 Barchester Towers contain?

Chapter 12 holds 226 sentences of Barchester Towers, unabridged, divided into 46 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 226 sentences, grouped into 46 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 Barchester Towers?

Work through the 46 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 46 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.

Questions about reading Barchester Towers

Common questions about reading Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Barchester Towers?

Yes. All 9518 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2432 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Barchester Towers is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2432, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Barchester Towers take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1904 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Barchester Towers section by section

How to work through Barchester Towers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Barchester Towers to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Barchester Towers

Words and structures a reader meets early in Barchester Towers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Bishop
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Barchester Towers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Latter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Barchester Towers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Important
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Barchester Towers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Question
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Barchester Towers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.