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His Unknown Wife
His Unknown Wife

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of His Unknown Wife is here in full — 287 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for His Unknown Wife
Context Illustration Reading 1/57 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE SIMPLE LIFE Who found the boat?
The question has not been answered to this day.
Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.
No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:
"What is that?"
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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 Unknown Wife

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of His Unknown Wife is here in full — 287 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/57 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE SIMPLE LIFE Who found the boat?
/ðə ˈsɪmpəl laɪf huː faʊnd ðə boʊt/
Line 2
The question has not been answered to this day.
/ðə ˈkwestʃən hæz nɑːt bɪn ˈænsərd tuː ðɪs deɪ/
Line 3
Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.
Line 4
No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:
Line 5
"What is that?"
/wʌt ɪz ðæt/

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.

dramatically adverb US /drəˈmætɪkli/

in a very impressive manner

From this reading “No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:”

endangered adjective US /enˈdeɪndʒərd/

(of flora or fauna) in imminent danger of extinction

From this reading “Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.”

foundations noun US /faʊnˈdeɪʃənz/

plural of “foundation” — the basis on which something is grounded

From this reading “Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.”

friendships noun US /ˈfrendʃɪps/

plural of “friendship” — the state of being friends (or friendly)

From this reading “Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.”

Nina noun US /ˈniːnə/

the Babylonian goddess of the watery deep and daughter of Ea

From this reading “No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:”

outstretched adjective US /aʊtˈstretʃt/

fully extended especially in length

From this reading “No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:”

ultimately adverb US /ˈʌltəmətli/

as the end result of a succession or process

From this reading “Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.”

vehemently adverb US /ˈviːəməntli/

in a vehement manner

From this reading “Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.”

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.

outstretched hand adjective + noun

In this reading “No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:”

different opinions adjective + noun counted as “different opinion”

In this reading “Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.”

on the point preposition + article + noun counted as “on … point”

In this reading “Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

agreedadjectiveUS /əˈɡriːd/

united by being of the same opinion

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading The question has not been answered to this day.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The question has not been answered to this day.

boatnounUS /boʊt/

a small vessel for travel on water

From this reading THE SIMPLE LIFE Who found the boat?

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

creditnounUS /ˈkredət/

approval

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The question has not been answered to this day.

differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

disputeverbUS /dɪsˈpjuːt/

take exception to

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

dramaticallyadverbUS /drəˈmætɪkli/

in a very impressive manner

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

endangeredadjectiveUS /enˈdeɪndʒərd/

(of flora or fauna) in imminent danger of extinction

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

expressedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsprest/

communicated in words

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

fingerverbUS /ˈfɪŋɡər/

feel or handle with the fingers

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

firmadjectiveUS /fɜːrm/

marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

Forbes

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

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading THE SIMPLE LIFE Who found the boat?

foundationsnounUS /faʊnˈdeɪʃənz/

plural of “foundation” — the basis on which something is grounded

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

FournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

friendshipsnounUS /ˈfrendʃɪps/

plural of “friendship” — the state of being friends (or friendly)

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The question has not been answered to this day.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "What is that?"

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

LIFEnounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading THE SIMPLE LIFE Who found the boat?

logger-heads

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

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

NinanounUS /ˈniːnə/

the Babylonian goddess of the watery deep and daughter of Ea

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The question has not been answered to this day.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

opinionsnounUS /əˈpɪnjənz/

plural of “opinion” — a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

outstretchedadjectiveUS /aʊtˈstretʃt/

fully extended especially in length

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

pointingverbUS /ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/

-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

poolnounUS /puːl/

an excavation that is (usually) filled with water

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading The question has not been answered to this day.

SIMPLEadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading THE SIMPLE LIFE Who found the boat?

sistersnounUS /ˈsɪstərz/

plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE SIMPLE LIFE Who found the boat?

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading The question has not been answered to this day.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The question has not been answered to this day.

ultimatelyadverbUS /ˈʌltəmətli/

as the end result of a succession or process

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

vehementlyadverbUS /ˈviːəməntli/

in a vehement manner

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Four people held and vehemently expressed different opinions; if they had not agreed ultimately to pool the credit, the foundations of six very firm friendships might have been endangered, because even the sisters were at logger-heads on the point.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What is that?"

WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading THE SIMPLE LIFE Who found the boat?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading No one could dispute the fact that it was Nina Forbes who, with outstretched hand and pointing finger, exclaimed dramatically:

Chapter 15 of His Unknown Wife by Louis Tracy holds 287 sentences, grouped into 58 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 15 of His Unknown Wife contain?

Chapter 15 holds 287 sentences of His Unknown Wife, unabridged, divided into 58 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of His Unknown Wife by Louis Tracy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 287 sentences, grouped into 58 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 15 of His Unknown Wife?

Work through the 58 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 58 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Unknown Wife

Common questions about reading His Unknown Wife by Louis Tracy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of His Unknown Wife?

Yes. All 4371 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35074 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of His Unknown Wife is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #35074, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does His Unknown Wife take to read?

About 364 minutes of reading across 875 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read His Unknown Wife section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of His Unknown 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 Unknown Wife

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

Wings
A word that appears in the opening chapter of His Unknown Wife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Morning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of His Unknown Wife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Flower
A word that appears in the opening chapter of His Unknown Wife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gorse
A word that appears in the opening chapter of His Unknown Wife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.