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Scenes from a Courtesan's Life
Scenes from a Courtesan's Life

Chapter XXXIX · Chapter 39

Chapter 39 of Scenes from a Courtesan's Life is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/49 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
To Monsieur Camusot.”
Come along to Monsieur Camusot,” replied Jacques Collin.
Why should we not go to the public prosecutor’s court?
It is nearer,” he added.
Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Scenes from a Courtesan's Life

Chapter XXXIX · Chapter 39

Chapter 39 of Scenes from a Courtesan's Life is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/49 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
To Monsieur Camusot.”
Line 2
Come along to Monsieur Camusot,” replied Jacques Collin.
Line 3
Why should we not go to the public prosecutor’s court?
/waɪ ʃʊd wiː nɑːt ɡoʊ tuː ðə ˈpʌblɪk ˈprɑːsɪkjuːtərz kɔːrt/
Line 4
It is nearer,” he added.
/ɪt ɪz ˈnɪrər hiː ˈædəd/
Line 5
Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

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.

authorities noun US /əˈθɔːrətiz/

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading “Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.”

capture verb US /ˈkæptʃər/

succeed in representing or expressing something intangible

From this reading “Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.”

criminals noun US /ˈkrɪmənəlz/

plural of “criminal” — someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

From this reading “Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.”

judicial adjective US /dʒuːˈdɪʃəl/

decreed by or proceeding from a court of justice

From this reading “Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.”

notable adjective US /ˈnoʊtəbəl/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading “Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.”

prosecutor's noun US /ˈprɑːsɪkjuːtərz/

possessive form of “prosecutor” — a government official who conducts criminal prosecutions on behalf of the state

unwilling adjective US /ənˈwɪlɪŋ/

not disposed or inclined toward

From this reading “Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.”

victims noun US /ˈvɪktəmz/

plural of “victim” — an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance

From this reading “Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.”

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

addedverbUS /ˈædəd/

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading It is nearer,” he added.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading “Come along to Monsieur Camusot,” replied Jacques Collin.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

authoritiesnounUS /əˈθɔːrətiz/

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

Bibi-Lupin

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

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

Camusot

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

From this reading “To Monsieur Camusot.”

captureverbUS /ˈkæptʃər/

succeed in representing or expressing something intangible

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

Collin

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

From this reading “Come along to Monsieur Camusot,” replied Jacques Collin.

ComeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading “Come along to Monsieur Camusot,” replied Jacques Collin.

courtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading “Why should we not go to the public prosecutor’s court?

criminalsnounUS /ˈkrɪmənəlz/

plural of “criminal” — someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

expensenounUS /ɪkˈspens/

amounts paid for goods and services that may be currently tax deductible (as opposed to capital expenditures)

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

favorverbUS /ˈfeɪvər/

promote over another

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading “Why should we not go to the public prosecutor’s court?

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading It is nearer,” he added.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

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

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is nearer,” he added.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is nearer,” he added.

Jacques

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

From this reading “Come along to Monsieur Camusot,” replied Jacques Collin.

judicialadjectiveUS /dʒuːˈdɪʃəl/

decreed by or proceeding from a court of justice

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

MonsieurnounUS /məˈsjɜːr/

used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”

From this reading “To Monsieur Camusot.”

neareradverbUS /ˈnɪrər/

(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance

From this reading It is nearer,” he added.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “Why should we not go to the public prosecutor’s court?

notableadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəbəl/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

prosecutor'snounUS /ˈprɑːsɪkjuːtərz/

possessive form of “prosecutor” — a government official who conducts criminal prosecutions on behalf of the state

From this reading “Why should we not go to the public prosecutor’s court?

publicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading “Why should we not go to the public prosecutor’s court?

ranksnounUS /ræŋks/

plural of “rank” — a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading “Come along to Monsieur Camusot,” replied Jacques Collin.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading “Why should we not go to the public prosecutor’s court?

showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

suspectedadjectiveUS /səˈspektɪd/

believed likely

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Why should we not go to the public prosecutor’s court?

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “To Monsieur Camusot.”

unwillingadjectiveUS /ənˈwɪlɪŋ/

not disposed or inclined toward

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

upperadjectiveUS /ˈʌpər/

the topmost one of two

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

victimsnounUS /ˈvɪktəmz/

plural of “victim” — an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “Why should we not go to the public prosecutor’s court?

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading “Why should we not go to the public prosecutor’s court?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Bibi-Lupin, who knew that he was out of favor with the upper ranks of judicial authorities, and suspected of having made a fortune at the expense of criminals and their victims, was not unwilling to show himself in Court with so notable a capture.

Chapter 39 of Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Honoré de Balzac holds 245 sentences, grouped into 49 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 39 of Scenes from a Courtesan's Life contain?

Chapter 39 holds 245 sentences of Scenes from a Courtesan's Life, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 39 of Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Honoré de Balzac exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 245 sentences, grouped into 49 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 39 of Scenes from a Courtesan's Life?

Work through the 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 49 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 39 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 39 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 Scenes from a Courtesan's Life

Common questions about reading Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Scenes from a Courtesan's Life?

Yes. All 9211 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1660 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Scenes from a Courtesan's Life is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1660, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Scenes from a Courtesan's Life take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1843 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Scenes from a Courtesan's Life section by section

How to work through Scenes from a Courtesan's Life section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Scenes from a Courtesan's Life

Words and structures a reader meets early in Scenes from a Courtesan's Life, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Preparer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Scenes from a Courtesan's Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Scenes from a Courtesan's Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lucien
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Scenes from a Courtesan's Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rubempre
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Scenes from a Courtesan's Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.