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The Brotherhood of Consolation
The Brotherhood of Consolation

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Brotherhood of Consolation is here in full — 157 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.
However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.
At the same time the business is increasing, and we have all redoubled our activity.
If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.
This Visitor is named Berton, Doctor Berton; he lives in the rue d’Enfer.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Brotherhood of Consolation

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Brotherhood of Consolation is here in full — 157 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.
Line 2
However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.
Line 3
At the same time the business is increasing, and we have all redoubled our activity.
/æt ðə seɪm taɪm ðə ˈbɪznəs ɪz ˌɪnˈkriːsɪŋ ənd wiː hæv ɔːl riˈdʌbəld ˈaʊər ækˈtɪvəti/
Line 4
If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.
Line 5
This Visitor is named Berton, Doctor Berton; he lives in the rue d’Enfer.

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.

activity noun US /ækˈtɪvəti/

any specific behavior

From this reading “At the same time the business is increasing, and we have all redoubled our activity.”

apostles noun US /əˈpɑːsəlz/

plural of “apostle” — an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform

From this reading ““Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.”

confide verb US /kənˈfaɪd/

reveal in private; tell confidentially

From this reading “If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.”

increasing adjective US /ˌɪnˈkriːsɪŋ/

becoming greater or larger

From this reading “At the same time the business is increasing, and we have all redoubled our activity.”

physicians noun US /fəˈzɪʃənz/

plural of “physician” — a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading ““However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.”

redoubled adjective US /riˈdʌbəld/

become much greater in intensity or size or amount

From this reading “At the same time the business is increasing, and we have all redoubled our activity.”

secrets noun US /ˈsiːkrəts/

plural of “secret” — something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)

From this reading “If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.”

traitor noun US /ˈtreɪtər/

someone who betrays his country by committing treason

From this reading ““Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.”

All words in this reading · 76

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 “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

activitynounUS /ækˈtɪvəti/

any specific behavior

From this reading At the same time the business is increasing, and we have all redoubled our activity.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

apostlesnounUS /əˈpɑːsəlz/

plural of “apostle” — an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

arrondissement

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

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

arrondissements

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

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At the same time the business is increasing, and we have all redoubled our activity.

Berton

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

From this reading This Visitor is named Berton, Doctor Berton; he lives in the rue d’Enfer.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading At the same time the business is increasing, and we have all redoubled our activity.

casesnounUS /ˈkeɪsəz/

plural of “case” — an occurrence of something

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

confideverbUS /kənˈfaɪd/

reveal in private; tell confidentially

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

d'Enfer

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

From this reading This Visitor is named Berton, Doctor Berton; he lives in the rue d’Enfer.

difficultynounUS /ˈdɪfəkəlti/

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

DoctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading This Visitor is named Berton, Doctor Berton; he lives in the rue d’Enfer.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

gatheringnounUS /ˈɡæðərɪŋ/

a group of persons together in one place

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

Godefroid

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

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading At the same time the business is increasing, and we have all redoubled our activity.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading This Visitor is named Berton, Doctor Berton; he lives in the rue d’Enfer.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

HoweveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

increasingadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkriːsɪŋ/

becoming greater or larger

From this reading At the same time the business is increasing, and we have all redoubled our activity.

informationnounUS /ˌɪnfərˈmeɪʃən/

a message received and understood

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

livesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading This Visitor is named Berton, Doctor Berton; he lives in the rue d’Enfer.

monthnounUS /mʌnθ/

one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

namedverbUS /neɪmd/

past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading This Visitor is named Berton, Doctor Berton; he lives in the rue d’Enfer.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

originaladjectiveUS /ərˈɪdʒənəl/

preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

OurdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

physiciannounUS /fəˈzɪʃən/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

physiciansnounUS /fəˈzɪʃənz/

plural of “physician” — a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

providedverbUS /prəˈvaɪdɪd/

past form of “provide” — give something useful or necessary to

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

redoubledadjectiveUS /riˈdʌbəld/

become much greater in intensity or size or amount

From this reading At the same time the business is increasing, and we have all redoubled our activity.

ruenounUS /ruː/

European strong-scented perennial herb with grey-green bitter-tasting leaves; an irritant similar to poison ivy

From this reading This Visitor is named Berton, Doctor Berton; he lives in the rue d’Enfer.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading At the same time the business is increasing, and we have all redoubled our activity.

Saviournoun

a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

secretsnounUS /ˈsiːkrəts/

plural of “secret” — something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

sendverbUS /send/

cause to go somewhere

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

systemnounUS /ˈsɪstəm/

instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This Visitor is named Berton, Doctor Berton; he lives in the rue d’Enfer.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading At the same time the business is increasing, and we have all redoubled our activity.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

traitornounUS /ˈtreɪtər/

someone who betrays his country by committing treason

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

unbeliever

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

From this reading “Our Saviour had difficulty in gathering his apostles, and even then a traitor and an unbeliever got among them,” said Godefroid.

VisitornounUS /ˈvɪzɪtər/

someone who visits

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading “However, within the last month all our arrondissements are provided with a Visitor--that is the name we give to our physicians.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading If I confide to you these secrets of our system, it is that you must know the physician, that is, the Visitor of the arrondissement to which we are about to send you; from him, all original information about our cases comes.

Chapter 12 of The Brotherhood of Consolation by Honoré de Balzac holds 157 sentences, grouped into 32 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 Brotherhood of Consolation contain?

Chapter 12 holds 157 sentences of The Brotherhood of Consolation, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The Brotherhood of Consolation by Honoré de Balzac exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 157 sentences, grouped into 32 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 Brotherhood of Consolation?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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 Brotherhood of Consolation

Common questions about reading The Brotherhood of Consolation by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Brotherhood of Consolation?

Yes. All 3430 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1967 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Brotherhood of Consolation is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1967, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Brotherhood of Consolation take to read?

About 285 minutes of reading across 686 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Brotherhood of Consolation section by section

How to work through The Brotherhood of Consolation section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 22 chapters of The Brotherhood of Consolation to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in The Brotherhood of Consolation

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Brotherhood of Consolation, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Evening
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brotherhood of Consolation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Month
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brotherhood of Consolation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
September
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brotherhood of Consolation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thirty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brotherhood of Consolation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.