The Awkward Age

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Awkward Age is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Henry James • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

“There has been no reason why I should attribute to you any judgement of the matter; but I’ve had one myself, and I don’t see why I shouldn’t say frankly that it’s very much the one you express.

It would be a very good thing.”

“A very good thing, but none of my business?”--the Duchess’s vivacity was not unamiable.

It was on this circumstance that her companion for an instant perhaps meditated.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XII Reading 1/81

The Awkward Age Henry James

Chapter XII

Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Awkward Age is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start. “There has been no reason why I should attribute to you any judgement of the matter; but I’ve had one myself, and I don’t see why I shouldn’t say frankly that it’s very much the one you express. It would be a very good thing.” “A very good thing, but none of my business?”--the Duchess’s vivacity was not unamiable. It was on this circumstance that her companion for an instant perhaps meditated.

The Awkward Age

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Awkward Age is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

Line 2

Line 3

It would be a very good thing.”

/ɪt wʊd biː ə ˈveri ɡʊd θɪŋ/

Line 4

“A very good thing, but none of my business?”--the Duchess’s vivacity was not unamiable.

Line 5

It was on this circumstance that her companion for an instant perhaps meditated.

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.

attribute noun US /ˈætrəbjuːt/

a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished

From this reading ““There has been no reason why I should attribute to you any judgement of the matter; but I’ve had one myself, and I don’t see why I shouldn’t say frankly that it’s very much the one you express.”

circumstance noun US /ˈsɜːrkəmstæns/

a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity

From this reading “It was on this circumstance that her companion for an instant perhaps meditated.”

doubtless adverb US /ˈdaʊtləs/

without doubt; certainly

From this reading “This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.”

express verb US /ɪkˈspres/

give expression to

frankly adverb US /ˈfræŋkli/

(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that

judgement noun US /ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/

the legal document stating the reasons for a judicial decision

produced verb US /prəˈduːst/

past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading “This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.”

suppressed adjective US /səˈprest/

kept from public knowledge by various means

From this reading “This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.”

All words in this reading · 74

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 It would be a very good thing.”

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading It was on this circumstance that her companion for an instant perhaps meditated.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading “There has been no reason why I should attribute to you any judgement of the matter; but I’ve had one myself, and I don’t see why I shouldn’t say frankly that it’s very much the one you express.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

attributenounUS /ˈætrəbjuːt/

a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading It would be a very good thing.”

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading “A very good thing, but none of my business?”--the Duchess’s vivacity was not unamiable.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

circumstancenounUS /ˈsɜːrkəmstæns/

a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity

From this reading It was on this circumstance that her companion for an instant perhaps meditated.

companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading It was on this circumstance that her companion for an instant perhaps meditated.

don't

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

doubtlessadverbUS /ˈdaʊtləs/

without doubt; certainly

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

Duchess's

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

From this reading “A very good thing, but none of my business?”--the Duchess’s vivacity was not unamiable.

effectnounUS /ɪˈfekt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

expectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

expressverbUS /ɪkˈspres/

give expression to

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was on this circumstance that her companion for an instant perhaps meditated.

franklyadverbUS /ˈfræŋkli/

(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading It would be a very good thing.”

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

I've

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

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

instantnounUS /ˈɪnstənt/

a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)

From this reading It was on this circumstance that her companion for an instant perhaps meditated.

interestingadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/

arousing or holding the attention

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

interlocutress

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

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It would be a very good thing.”

it's

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

judgementnounUS /ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/

the legal document stating the reasons for a judicial decision

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

meditated

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

From this reading It was on this circumstance that her companion for an instant perhaps meditated.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “A very good thing, but none of my business?”--the Duchess’s vivacity was not unamiable.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

nonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading “A very good thing, but none of my business?”--the Duchess’s vivacity was not unamiable.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading It was on this circumstance that her companion for an instant perhaps meditated.

producedverbUS /prəˈduːst/

past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

shouldn't

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

shownverbUS /ʃoʊn/

inflected form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

startverbUS /stɑːrt/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

suppressedadjectiveUS /səˈprest/

kept from public knowledge by various means

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading It would be a very good thing.”

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

unamiable

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

From this reading “A very good thing, but none of my business?”--the Duchess’s vivacity was not unamiable.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

vivacitynoun

characterized by high spirits and animation

From this reading “A very good thing, but none of my business?”--the Duchess’s vivacity was not unamiable.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading This was more interesting than he had expected, and the effect produced by his interlocutress, as well as doubtless not lost on her, was shown in his suppressed start.

whynounUS /waɪ/

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

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading It would be a very good thing.”

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

Chapter 12 of The Awkward Age by Henry James holds 407 sentences, grouped into 82 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 12 of The Awkward Age contain?

Chapter 12 holds 407 sentences of The Awkward Age, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The Awkward Age by Henry James exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 407 sentences, grouped into 82 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 12 of The Awkward Age?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 The Awkward Age

Common questions about reading The Awkward Age by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Awkward Age?

Yes. All 10141 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7433 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Awkward Age is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7433, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Awkward Age take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2029 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Awkward Age section by section

How to work through The Awkward Age section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Awkward Age to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Awkward Age

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Awkward Age, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Recall: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Awkward Age; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Perfect: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Awkward Age; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Awkward: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Awkward Age; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Origin: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Awkward Age; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

What does chapter 12 of The Awkward Age contain?

How do I study chapter 12 of The Awkward Age?

Can chapter 12 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Awkward Age

How to read The Awkward Age section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Awkward Age