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The Imaginary Marriage
The Imaginary Marriage

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of The Imaginary Marriage is here in full — 61 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Henry St. John Cooper • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Imaginary Marriage
Context Illustration Reading 1/12 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.
“I’ll go to Cornbridge to-morrow,” said Hugh, and he went.
“Where,” asked Lady Linden, “the dickens have you been?”
“In the country!”
“Isn’t your own country good enough for you?”
0:00 / 0:00
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.

The Imaginary Marriage

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of The Imaginary Marriage is here in full — 61 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.
Line 2
“I’ll go to Cornbridge to-morrow,” said Hugh, and he went.
Line 3
“Where,” asked Lady Linden, “the dickens have you been?”
/wer æskt ˈleɪdi ˈlɪndən ðə ˈdɪkənz hæv juː bɪn/
Line 4
“In the country!”
/ɪn ðə ˈkʌntri/
Line 5
“Isn’t your own country good enough for you?”

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.

dickens noun US /ˈdɪkənz/

a word used in exclamations of confusion

From this reading ““Where,” asked Lady Linden, “the dickens have you been?””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
engaged adjective US /enˈɡeɪdʒd/

having ones attention or mind or energy engaged

From this reading ““FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Linden noun US /ˈlɪndən/

soft light-colored wood of any of various linden trees; used in making crates and boxes and in carving and millwork

From this reading ““Where,” asked Lady Linden, “the dickens have you been?””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
married adjective US /ˈmerid/

joined in matrimony

From this reading ““FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
perplexed adjective US /pərˈplekst/

full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment

From this reading ““FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sake noun US /seɪk/

a reason for wanting something done

From this reading ““FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sorely adverb US /ˈsɔːrli/

to a great degree

From this reading ““FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
worried adjective US /ˈwɜːrid/

afflicted with or marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble or grief

From this reading ““FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 54

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 “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Alston

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

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Pending verification
Alston's

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

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Pending verification
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “Where,” asked Lady Linden, “the dickens have you been?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “Where,” asked Lady Linden, “the dickens have you been?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Cornbridge

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

From this reading “I’ll go to Cornbridge to-morrow,” said Hugh, and he went.

Pending verification
countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading “In the country!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dickensnounUS /ˈdɪkənz/

a word used in exclamations of confusion

From this reading “Where,” asked Lady Linden, “the dickens have you been?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
engagedadjectiveUS /enˈɡeɪdʒd/

having ones attention or mind or energy engaged

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading “Isn’t your own country good enough for you?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading “I’ll go to Cornbridge to-morrow,” said Hugh, and he went.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading “Isn’t your own country good enough for you?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Where,” asked Lady Linden, “the dickens have you been?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HERdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Hugh

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

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Pending verification
I'll

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

From this reading “I’ll go to Cornbridge to-morrow,” said Hugh, and he went.

Pending verification
InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “In the country!”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IntoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Isn't

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

From this reading “Isn’t your own country good enough for you?”

Pending verification
LadynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading “Where,” asked Lady Linden, “the dickens have you been?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LindennounUS /ˈlɪndən/

soft light-colored wood of any of various linden trees; used in making crates and boxes and in carving and millwork

From this reading “Where,” asked Lady Linden, “the dickens have you been?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lovedadjectiveUS /lʌvd/

held dear

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
marriedadjectiveUS /ˈmerid/

joined in matrimony

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading “Isn’t your own country good enough for you?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
perplexedadjectiveUS /pərˈplekst/

full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “I’ll go to Cornbridge to-morrow,” said Hugh, and he went.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SAKEnounUS /seɪk/

a reason for wanting something done

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sorelyadverbUS /ˈsɔːrli/

to a great degree

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Where,” asked Lady Linden, “the dickens have you been?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
to-morrow

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

From this reading “I’ll go to Cornbridge to-morrow,” said Hugh, and he went.

Pending verification
twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading “I’ll go to Cornbridge to-morrow,” said Hugh, and he went.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading “Where,” asked Lady Linden, “the dickens have you been?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
worriedadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrid/

afflicted with or marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble or grief

From this reading “FOR HER SAKE” Into Hugh Alston’s life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Where,” asked Lady Linden, “the dickens have you been?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Isn’t your own country good enough for you?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 28 of The Imaginary Marriage by Henry St. John Cooper holds 61 sentences, grouped into 13 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 28 of The Imaginary Marriage contain?

Chapter 28 holds 61 sentences of The Imaginary Marriage, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of The Imaginary Marriage by Henry St. John Cooper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 61 sentences, grouped into 13 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 28 of The Imaginary Marriage?

Work through the 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 13 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 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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 Imaginary Marriage

Common questions about reading The Imaginary Marriage by Henry St. John Cooper on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Imaginary Marriage?

Yes. All 5630 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15103 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Imaginary Marriage is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #15103, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Imaginary Marriage take to read?

About 469 minutes of reading across 1126 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Imaginary Marriage section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Imaginary Marriage 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 Imaginary Marriage

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

Linden
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Imaginary Marriage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Usual
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Imaginary Marriage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Numerous
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Imaginary Marriage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Inspections
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Imaginary Marriage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.