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Some Short Stories [by Henry James]
Some Short Stories [by Henry James]

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Some Short Stories [by Henry James] is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Some Short Stories [by Henry James]
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.
It was odd how quickly I was sure of everything that concerned them.
If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.
Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.
It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Some Short Stories [by Henry James]

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Some Short Stories [by Henry James] is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.
/aɪ kʊd ˈfænsi ðə sɔːrt ʌv θɪŋ ðeɪ pʊt ɑːn ðə ˌprezənˈteɪʃən ˈkɑːpiz ʌv ðer ˈfoʊtəɡræfs ənd aɪ wɑːz ʃʊr ðeɪ roʊt ə ˈbjuːtəfəl hænd/
Line 2
It was odd how quickly I was sure of everything that concerned them.
Line 3
If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.
/ɪf ðeɪ wɜːr naʊ soʊ puːr æz tuː hæv tuː kæm ˈʃɪlɪŋz ənd pens ðeɪ kʊd ˈnevər hæv hæd mʌtʃ ʌv ə ˈmɑːrdʒən/
Line 4
Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.
Line 5
It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.

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.

cam noun US /kæm/

a river in east central England that flows past Cambridge to join the Ouse River

From this reading “If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.”

copies noun US /ˈkɑːpiz/

plural of “copy” — a reproduction of a written record (e.g. of a legal or school record)

From this reading “I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.”

intonations noun US /ˌɪntəˈneɪʃənz/

plural of “intonation” — rise and fall of the voice pitch

From this reading “It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.”

margin noun US /ˈmɑːrdʒən/

the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary

From this reading “If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.”

pence noun US /pens/

plural of “penny” — a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound

From this reading “If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.”

photographs noun US /ˈfoʊtəɡræfs/

plural of “photograph” — a representation of a person or scene in the form of a print or transparent slide or in digital format

From this reading “I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.”

presentation noun US /ˌprezənˈteɪʃən/

the activity of formally presenting something (as a prize or reward)

From this reading “I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.”

resource noun US /ˈriːsɔːrs/

available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed

From this reading “Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.”

All words in this reading · 70

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 I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.

blanknessnoun

the state of being blank; void; emptiness

From this reading It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.

camnounUS /kæm/

a river in east central England that flows past Cambridge to join the Ouse River

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

capitalnounUS /ˈkæpətəl/

assets available for use in the production of further assets

From this reading Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.

careernounUS /kərˈɪr/

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.

concernedadjectiveUS /kənˈsɜːrnd/

feeling or showing worry or solicitude

From this reading It was odd how quickly I was sure of everything that concerned them.

copiesnounUS /ˈkɑːpiz/

plural of “copy” — a reproduction of a written record (e.g. of a legal or school record)

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

country-house

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

From this reading It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading It was odd how quickly I was sure of everything that concerned them.

facesnounUS /ˈfeɪsəz/

plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.

fancynounUS /ˈfænsi/

something many people believe that is false

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.

good-humouredly

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

From this reading Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

how

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

From this reading It was odd how quickly I was sure of everything that concerned them.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.

intellectualadjectiveUS /ˌɪntəˈlektʃuːəl/

of or associated with or requiring the use of the mind

From this reading It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.

intonationsnounUS /ˌɪntəˈneɪʃənz/

plural of “intonation” — rise and fall of the voice pitch

From this reading It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was odd how quickly I was sure of everything that concerned them.

looksnounUS /lʊks/

plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.

marginnounUS /ˈmɑːrdʒən/

the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/

strongly marked; easily noticeable

From this reading Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

oddadjectiveUS /ɑːd/

not divisible by two

From this reading It was odd how quickly I was sure of everything that concerned them.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.

pencenounUS /pens/

plural of “penny” — a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

photographsnounUS /ˈfoʊtəɡræfs/

plural of “photograph” — a representation of a person or scene in the form of a print or transparent slide or in digital format

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

presentationnounUS /ˌprezənˈteɪʃən/

the activity of formally presenting something (as a prize or reward)

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/

with speed

From this reading It was odd how quickly I was sure of everything that concerned them.

reposeverbUS /riˈpoʊz/

put or confide something in a person or thing

From this reading It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.

resourcenounUS /ˈriːsɔːrs/

available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed

From this reading Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.

shillingsnounUS /ˈʃɪlɪŋz/

plural of “shilling” — the basic unit of money in Uganda; equal to 100 cents

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was odd how quickly I was sure of everything that concerned them.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading It was odd how quickly I was sure of everything that concerned them.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Their good looks had been their capital, and they had good-humouredly made the most of the career that this resource marked out for them.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

twentynounUS /ˈtwenti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.

visitingnounUS /ˈvɪzɪtɪŋ/

the activity of making visits

From this reading It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading If they were now so poor as to have to cam shillings and pence they could never have had much of a margin.

wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading I could fancy the "sort of thing" they put on the presentation copies of their photographs, and I was sure they wrote a beautiful hand.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading It was in their faces, the blankness, the deep intellectual repose of the twenty years of country-house visiting that had given them pleasant intonations.

Chapter 2 of Some Short Stories [by Henry James] by Henry James holds 122 sentences, grouped into 25 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 2 of Some Short Stories [by Henry James] contain?

Chapter 2 holds 122 sentences of Some Short Stories [by Henry James], unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Some Short Stories [by Henry James] by Henry James exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 122 sentences, grouped into 25 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 Some Short Stories [by Henry James]?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 Some Short Stories [by Henry James]

Common questions about reading Some Short Stories [by Henry James] by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Some Short Stories [by Henry James]?

Yes. All 1871 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2327 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Some Short Stories [by Henry James] is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2327, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Some Short Stories [by Henry James] take to read?

About 155 minutes of reading across 375 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Some Short Stories [by Henry James] section by section

How to work through Some Short Stories [by Henry James] 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 Some Short Stories [by Henry James]

Words and structures a reader meets early in Some Short Stories [by Henry James], each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Porter's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Some Short Stories [by Henry James]; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Answer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Some Short Stories [by Henry James]; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
House-bell
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Some Short Stories [by Henry James]; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Announced
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Some Short Stories [by Henry James]; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.