The Later Life

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Later Life is here in full — 133 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Louis Couperus • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

The visit was paid and the brothers-in-law shook hands.

Van der Welcke himself shrugged his shoulders over the whole business; but Addie was pleased, started going for walks again with Frans and spoke to Karel again at the grammar-school, though he did not much care for him.

Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.

Constance was at home.

Narrator

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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 VI Reading 1/26

The Later Life

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Later Life is here in full — 133 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

Line 2

The visit was paid and the brothers-in-law shook hands.

/ðə ˈvɪzɪt wɑːz peɪd ənd ðə ˈbrʌðərzɪnlɔː ʃʊk hændz/

Line 3

Line 4

Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.

Line 5

Constance was at home.

/ˈkɑːnstəns wɑːz æt hoʊm/

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.

advances noun US /ədˈvænsəz/

plural of “advance” — a movement forward

From this reading “At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.”

brothers-in-law noun US /ˈbrʌðərzɪnlɔː/

plural of “brother-in-law” — a brother by marriage

From this reading “The visit was paid and the brothers-in-law shook hands.”

Constance noun US /ˈkɑːnstəns/

a lake in southeastern Germany on the northern side of the Swiss Alps; forms part of the Rhine River

From this reading “At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.”

responded verb US /rɪˈspɑːndɪd/

past form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something

From this reading “At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.”

shrugged verb US /ʃrʌɡd/

inflected form of “shrug” — raise one's shoulders to indicate indifference or resignation

From this reading “Van der Welcke himself shrugged his shoulders over the whole business; but Addie was pleased, started going for walks again with Frans and spoke to Karel again at the grammar-school, though he did not much care for him.”

torrents noun US /ˈtɔːrənts/

plural of “torrent” — a heavy rain

From this reading “Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.”

Van noun US /væn/

any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)

From this reading “At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.”

walks noun US /wɔːks/

plural of “walk” — the act of traveling by foot

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.

shook hands noun + noun

In this reading “The visit was paid and the brothers-in-law shook hands.”

Two days noun + noun

In this reading “Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.”

whole business adjective + noun

In this reading “Van der Welcke himself shrugged his shoulders over the whole business; but Addie was pleased, started going for walks again with Frans and spoke to Karel again at the grammar-school, though he did not much care for him.”

at home preposition + noun

a reception held in your own home

In this reading “Constance was at home.”

in the afternoon preposition + article + noun counted as “in … afternoon”

In this reading “Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.”

in torrents preposition + noun counted as “in torrent”

In this reading “Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.”

All words in this reading · 65

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 At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

Addie

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

From this reading Van der Welcke himself shrugged his shoulders over the whole business; but Addie was pleased, started going for walks again with Frans and spoke to Karel again at the grammar-school, though he did not much care for him.

Addie's

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

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

advancesnounUS /ədˈvænsəz/

plural of “advance” — a movement forward

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

brothers-in-lawnounUS /ˈbrʌðərzɪnlɔː/

plural of “brother-in-law” — a brother by marriage

From this reading The visit was paid and the brothers-in-law shook hands.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

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

From this reading Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.

ConstancenounUS /ˈkɑːnstəns/

a lake in southeastern Germany on the northern side of the Swiss Alps; forms part of the Rhine River

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.

der

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

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

Frans

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

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

grammar-school

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

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading The visit was paid and the brothers-in-law shook hands.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Constance was at home.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.

Karel

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

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

Marianne

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

From this reading Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

Naghel's

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

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

notenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

paidadjectiveUS /peɪd/

marked by the reception of pay

From this reading The visit was paid and the brothers-in-law shook hands.

pleasedadjectiveUS /pliːzd/

experiencing or manifesting pleasure

rainnounUS /reɪn/

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.

respondedverbUS /rɪˈspɑːndɪd/

past form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

schoolboy's

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

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

shooknounUS /ʃʊk/

a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment

From this reading The visit was paid and the brothers-in-law shook hands.

shouldersnounUS /ˈʃoʊldərz/

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

shruggedverbUS /ʃrʌɡd/

inflected form of “shrug” — raise one's shoulders to indicate indifference or resignation

spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

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

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

torrentsnounUS /ˈtɔːrənts/

plural of “torrent” — a heavy rain

From this reading Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.

TwonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.

VannounUS /væn/

any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading The visit was paid and the brothers-in-law shook hands.

walksnounUS /wɔːks/

plural of “walk” — the act of traveling by foot

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The visit was paid and the brothers-in-law shook hands.

Welcke

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

Welckes

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

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Two days later, Marianne called in the afternoon, when the rain was coming down in torrents.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading At Addie's wish, at the little schoolboy's wish, the Van der Welckes responded to Van Naghel's advances and Constance sent a note.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

Chapter 6 of The Later Life by Louis Couperus holds 133 sentences, grouped into 27 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 6 of The Later Life contain?

Chapter 6 holds 133 sentences of The Later Life, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of The Later Life by Louis Couperus exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 133 sentences, grouped into 27 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 6 of The Later Life?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Later Life

Common questions about reading The Later Life by Louis Couperus on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Later Life?

Yes. All 5253 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37578 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Later Life is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37578, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Later Life take to read?

About 437 minutes of reading across 1051 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Later Life section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 31 chapters of The Later Life 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 Later Life

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

Welcke: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Later Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Morning: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Later Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sound: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Later Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sleep: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Later Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter VI

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Can chapter 6 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Later Life

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Open a chapter

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Vocabulary met early in The Later Life