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My Aunt Margaret's Mirror
My Aunt Margaret's Mirror

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of My Aunt Margaret's Mirror is here in full — 254 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.
He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, he never writes when things are going on smoothly.
It is his way.
Had anything happened, he would have informed us.”
Lady Bothwell listened to her sister without attempting to console her.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

My Aunt Margaret's Mirror

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of My Aunt Margaret's Mirror is here in full — 254 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.
/æz ʃiː rəˈsiːvd noʊ ˈfɜːrðər nuːz ʌv sɜːr ˈfɪləp ˈweðər dərˈektli ɔːr ˌɪndərˈektliː hɪz ənˈfɔːrtʃənət ˈleɪdi bɪˈɡæn naʊ tuː fiːl ə sɔːrt ʌv ˌkɑːnsəˈleɪʃən ˈiːvɪn ɪn ðoʊz ˈkerləs ˈhæbəts wɪtʃ hæd soʊ ˈɔːfən ˈɡɪvən hɜːr peɪn/
Line 2
He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.
/hiː ɪz soʊ ˈθɔːtləs ʃiː rɪˈpiːtɪd ə ˈhʌndrəd taɪmz ə deɪ tuː hɜːr ˈsɪstər hiː ˈnevər raɪts wen θɪŋz ɑːr ˈɡoʊɪŋ ɑːn ˈsmuːðli/
Line 3
It is his way.
/ɪt ɪz hɪz weɪ/
Line 4
Had anything happened, he would have informed us.”
/hæd ˈeniθɪŋ ˈhæpənd hiː wʊd hæv ˌɪnˈfɔːrmd ʌs/
Line 5
Lady Bothwell listened to her sister without attempting to console her.

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.

attempting verb US /əˈtemptɪŋ/

-ing form of “attempt” — make an effort or attempt

From this reading “Lady Bothwell listened to her sister without attempting to console her.”

careless adjective US /ˈkerləs/

marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful

From this reading “As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.”

consolation noun US /ˌkɑːnsəˈleɪʃən/

the comfort you feel when consoled in times of disappointment

From this reading “As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.”

console verb US /ˈkɑːnsoʊl/

give moral or emotional strength to

From this reading “Lady Bothwell listened to her sister without attempting to console her.”

indirectly adverb US /ˌɪndərˈektliː/

not in a forthright manner

From this reading “As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.”

smoothly adverb US /ˈsmuːðli/

with no problems or difficulties

From this reading ““He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.”

thoughtless adjective US /ˈθɔːtləs/

showing lack of careful thought

From this reading ““He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.”

writes verb US /raɪts/

third-person singular of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading ““He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.”

All words in this reading · 64

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 As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading Had anything happened, he would have informed us.”

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

attemptingverbUS /əˈtemptɪŋ/

-ing form of “attempt” — make an effort or attempt

From this reading Lady Bothwell listened to her sister without attempting to console her.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

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

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

Bothwell

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

From this reading Lady Bothwell listened to her sister without attempting to console her.

carelessadjectiveUS /ˈkerləs/

marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

consolationnounUS /ˌkɑːnsəˈleɪʃən/

the comfort you feel when consoled in times of disappointment

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

consoleverbUS /ˈkɑːnsoʊl/

give moral or emotional strength to

From this reading Lady Bothwell listened to her sister without attempting to console her.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

directlyadverbUS /dərˈektli/

without deviation

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

habitsnounUS /ˈhæbəts/

plural of “habit” — an established custom

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading Had anything happened, he would have informed us.”

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Had anything happened, he would have informed us.”

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

indirectlyadverbUS /ˌɪndərˈektliː/

not in a forthright manner

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

informedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈfɔːrmd/

having much knowledge or education

From this reading Had anything happened, he would have informed us.”

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is his way.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading Lady Bothwell listened to her sister without attempting to console her.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

painnounUS /peɪn/

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

PhilipnounUS /ˈfɪləp/

Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

repeatedadjectiveUS /rɪˈpiːtɪd/

recurring again and again

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

sisternounUS /ˈsɪstər/

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

smoothlyadverbUS /ˈsmuːðli/

with no problems or difficulties

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

thoughtlessadjectiveUS /ˈθɔːtləs/

showing lack of careful thought

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

unfortunateadjectiveUS /ənˈfɔːrtʃənət/

not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Had anything happened, he would have informed us.”

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading It is his way.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading As she received no further news of Sir Philip, whether directly or indirectly, his unfortunate lady began now to feel a sort of consolation even in those careless habits which had so often given her pain.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Lady Bothwell listened to her sister without attempting to console her.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Had anything happened, he would have informed us.”

writesverbUS /raɪts/

third-person singular of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading “He is so thoughtless,” she repeated a hundred times a day to her sister, “he never writes when things are going on smoothly.

Chapter 2 of My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott holds 254 sentences, grouped into 51 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 2 of My Aunt Margaret's Mirror contain?

Chapter 2 holds 254 sentences of My Aunt Margaret's Mirror, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 254 sentences, grouped into 51 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 2 of My Aunt Margaret's Mirror?

Work through the 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 51 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 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading My Aunt Margaret's Mirror

Common questions about reading My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of My Aunt Margaret's Mirror?

Yes. All 356 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1667 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of My Aunt Margaret's Mirror is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1667, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does My Aunt Margaret's Mirror take to read?

About 29 minutes of reading across 72 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through My Aunt Margaret's Mirror section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in My Aunt Margaret's Mirror

Words and structures a reader meets early in My Aunt Margaret's Mirror, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Sketches
A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Aunt Margaret's Mirror; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Society
A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Aunt Margaret's Mirror; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Passed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Aunt Margaret's Mirror; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Describe
A word that appears in the opening chapter of My Aunt Margaret's Mirror; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.