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His Second Wife
His Second Wife

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of His Second Wife is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for His Second Wife
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.
He often looked tired and harassed.
"What's the matter with me?" he seemed to ask.
And she felt his two sides combatting each other.
On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.
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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.

His Second Wife

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of His Second Wife is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.
Line 2
He often looked tired and harassed.
/hiː ˈɔːfən lʊkt ˈtaɪərd ənd hərˈæst/
Line 3
"What's the matter with me?" he seemed to ask.
Line 4
And she felt his two sides combatting each other.
/ənd ʃiː felt hɪz tuː saɪdz kəmˈbætɪŋ iːtʃ ˈʌðər/
Line 5
On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

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.

club noun US /klʌb/

a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading “On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.”

combatting verb US /kəmˈbætɪŋ/

inflected form of “combat” — battle or contend against in or as if in a battle

From this reading “And she felt his two sides combatting each other.”

compared verb US /kəmˈperd/

past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading “But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.”

harassed adjective US /hərˈæst/

troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances

From this reading “He often looked tired and harassed.”

influences noun US /ˈɪnfluːənsɪz/

plural of “influence” — a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc

From this reading “On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.”

intensity noun US /ɪnˈtensəti/

the amount of energy transmitted (as by acoustic or electromagnetic radiation)

From this reading “But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.”

relations noun US /riˈleɪʃənz/

mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups

From this reading “But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.”

ups verb US /ʌps/

third-person singular of “up” — raise

From this reading “But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.”

All words in this reading · 53

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

askverbUS /æsk/

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "What's the matter with me?" he seemed to ask.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

clubnounUS /klʌb/

a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

combattingverbUS /kəmˈbætɪŋ/

inflected form of “combat” — battle or contend against in or as if in a battle

From this reading And she felt his two sides combatting each other.

comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/

past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

Dwight

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

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading And she felt his two sides combatting each other.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading And she felt his two sides combatting each other.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

harassedadjectiveUS /hərˈæst/

troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances

From this reading He often looked tired and harassed.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He often looked tired and harassed.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

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

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading And she felt his two sides combatting each other.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

influencesnounUS /ˈɪnfluːənsɪz/

plural of “influence” — a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

intensitynounUS /ɪnˈtensəti/

the amount of energy transmitted (as by acoustic or electromagnetic radiation)

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

Joe

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

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading He often looked tired and harassed.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading "What's the matter with me?" he seemed to ask.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "What's the matter with me?" he seemed to ask.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

Nourse

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

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading He often looked tired and harassed.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading And she felt his two sides combatting each other.

relationsnounUS /riˈleɪʃənz/

mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading "What's the matter with me?" he seemed to ask.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading And she felt his two sides combatting each other.

sidesnounUS /saɪdz/

plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading And she felt his two sides combatting each other.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading He often looked tired and harassed.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading And she felt his two sides combatting each other.

upsverbUS /ʌps/

third-person singular of “up” — raise

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

What's

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

From this reading "What's the matter with me?" he seemed to ask.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading On the one hand were the influences of Nourse and Dwight and the men at the club, to which he went nearly every day.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading But all this was as nothing compared to the intensity, the ups and down, in her relations with Joe himself.

Chapter 18 of His Second Wife by Ernest Poole holds 176 sentences, grouped into 36 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 18 of His Second Wife contain?

Chapter 18 holds 176 sentences of His Second Wife, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of His Second Wife by Ernest Poole exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 176 sentences, grouped into 36 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 18 of His Second Wife?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 His Second Wife

Common questions about reading His Second Wife by Ernest Poole on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of His Second Wife?

Yes. All 5317 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17259 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of His Second Wife is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #17259, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does His Second Wife take to read?

About 443 minutes of reading across 1064 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read His Second Wife section by section

How to work through His Second Wife section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 27 chapters of His Second Wife 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 His Second Wife

Words and structures a reader meets early in His Second Wife, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Ethel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of His Second Wife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
We're
A word that appears in the opening chapter of His Second Wife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Midnight
A word that appears in the opening chapter of His Second Wife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wonder
A word that appears in the opening chapter of His Second Wife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.