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The Initials: A Story of Modern Life
The Initials: A Story of Modern Life

Chapter XXX

Chapter 30 of The Initials: A Story of Modern Life is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Jemima Montgomery, Baroness Tautphoeus • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Initials: A Story of Modern Life
Context Illustration Reading 1/12 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE DIFFICULTY REMOVED.
IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.
Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.
“He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!
Did you ever hear anything so absurd?”
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 Initials: A Story of Modern Life

Chapter XXX

Chapter 30 of The Initials: A Story of Modern Life is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
THE DIFFICULTY REMOVED.
/ðə ˈdɪfəkəlti riˈmuːvd/
Line 2
IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.
/ɪt wɑːz leɪt ɪn ðə ˈiːvnɪŋ ənd ˈhæməltən hæd nɑːt jet rɪˈtɜːrnd/
Line 3
Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.
Line 4
“He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!
Line 5
Did you ever hear anything so absurd?”
/dɪd juː ˈevər hiːr ˈeniθɪŋ soʊ əbˈsɜːrd/

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.

absent adjective US /ˈæbsənt/

not being in a specified place

From this reading ““He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
complain verb US /kəmˈpleɪn/

express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness

From this reading “Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
declined verb US /dɪˈklaɪnd/

past form of “decline” — grow worse

From this reading “Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fortunately adverb US /ˈfɔːrtʃənətli/

by good fortune

From this reading “Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Hamilton noun US /ˈhæməltən/

Irish mathematician (1806-1865)

From this reading “IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inmate noun US /ˈɪnmeɪt/

one of several resident of a dwelling (especially someone confined to a prison or hospital)

From this reading “Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
receiving verb US /rəˈsiːvɪŋ/

-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of

From this reading “Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uneasy adjective US /əˈniːzi/

lacking a sense of security or affording no ease or reassurance

From this reading “Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

complain bitterly verb + particle

In this reading “Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.”

442 times in 426,211 chapters
too young adverb + adjective

In this reading ““He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!”

6,542 times in 426,211 chapters
in the evening preposition + article + noun counted as “in … evening”

In this reading “IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.”

32,925 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 64

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 Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
absentadjectiveUS /ˈæbsənt/

not being in a specified place

From this reading “He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
absurdadjectiveUS /əbˈsɜːrd/

inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense

From this reading Did you ever hear anything so absurd?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading “He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading Did you ever hear anything so absurd?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Berger

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

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

Pending verification
bitterlyadverbUS /ˈbɪtərli/

with bitterness; in a resentful manner

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
complainverbUS /kəmˈpleɪn/

express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
declinedverbUS /dɪˈklaɪnd/

past form of “decline” — grow worse

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Did you ever hear anything so absurd?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
DIFFICULTYnounUS /ˈdɪfəkəlti/

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading THE DIFFICULTY REMOVED.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Did you ever hear anything so absurd?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fortunatelyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənətli/

by good fortune

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

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

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

From this reading IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HamiltonnounUS /ˈhæməltən/

Irish mathematician (1806-1865)

From this reading IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading “He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading Did you ever hear anything so absurd?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
impatientadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpeɪʃənt/

restless or short-tempered under delay or opposition

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inmatenounUS /ˈɪnmeɪt/

one of several resident of a dwelling (especially someone confined to a prison or hospital)

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ITpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MadamenounUS /ˈmædəm/

title used for a married Frenchwoman

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading “He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading “He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
receivingverbUS /rəˈsiːvɪŋ/

-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
REMOVEDadjectiveUS /riˈmuːvd/

separated in relationship by a given degree of descent

From this reading THE DIFFICULTY REMOVED.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Rosenberg

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

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

Pending verification
saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading “He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Did you ever hear anything so absurd?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
talkverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading “He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
termsnounUS /tɜːrmz/

status with respect to the relations between people or groups

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

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 THE DIFFICULTY REMOVED.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading “He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uneasyadjectiveUS /əˈniːzi/

lacking a sense of security or affording no ease or reassurance

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

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 IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Madame Rosenberg began to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain bitterly of her husband, who had declined receiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of his house on any terms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had not yet returned.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Did you ever hear anything so absurd?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading “He says I am too young—and he is too often absent—and people might talk!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 30 of The Initials: A Story of Modern Life by Jemima Montgomery, Baroness Tautphoeus holds 64 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 30 of The Initials: A Story of Modern Life contain?

Chapter 30 holds 64 sentences of The Initials: A Story of Modern Life, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 30 of The Initials: A Story of Modern Life by Jemima Montgomery, Baroness Tautphoeus exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 64 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 30 of The Initials: A Story of Modern Life?

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 30 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 30 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 Initials: A Story of Modern Life

Common questions about reading The Initials: A Story of Modern Life by Jemima Montgomery, Baroness Tautphoeus on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #58908, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 1706 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Initials: A Story of Modern Life

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Initials: A Story of Modern Life, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Baroness
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Initials: A Story of Modern Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tautph
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Initials: A Story of Modern Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Initials: A Story of Modern Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Quits
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Initials: A Story of Modern Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.