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The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856
The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856 is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.
Do not tell this to Le Vieux.
Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.
I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.
We shall come to Paris on Monday, the 12th, arriving there in the evening.
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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.

The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856 is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.
Line 2
Do not tell this to Le Vieux.
Line 3
Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.
/ənˈles aɪ hæv ðə ɪl ˈfɔːrtʃən tuː ˈstʌmbəl əˈɡenst hɪm ɪn ðə striːt aɪ ʃæl nɑːt meɪk maɪ ərˈaɪvəl noʊn tuː hɪm/
Line 4
I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.
Line 5
We shall come to Paris on Monday, the 12th, arriving there in the evening.

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.

arriving verb US /ərˈaɪvɪŋ/

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

From this reading “We shall come to Paris on Monday, the 12th, arriving there in the evening.”

beautifully adverb US /ˈbjuːtəfli/

in a beautiful manner

From this reading “I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.”

Collins noun US /ˈkɑːlɪnz/

English writer noted for early detective novels (1824-1889)

From this reading “I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.”

lanes noun US /leɪnz/

plural of “lane” — a narrow way or road

From this reading “I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.”

Monday noun US /ˈmʌndi/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading “We shall come to Paris on Monday, the 12th, arriving there in the evening.”

painted adjective US /ˈpeɪntɪd/

coated with paint

From this reading “I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.”

painter noun US /ˈpeɪntər/

an artist who paints

From this reading “I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.”

stumble verb US /ˈstʌmbəl/

walk unsteadily

From this reading “Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.”

All words in this reading · 71

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.

11th

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

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

12th

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

From this reading We shall come to Paris on Monday, the 12th, arriving there in the evening.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

arrivalnounUS /ərˈaɪvəl/

accomplishment of an objective

From this reading Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.

arrivingverbUS /ərˈaɪvɪŋ/

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

From this reading We shall come to Paris on Monday, the 12th, arriving there in the evening.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

beautifullyadverbUS /ˈbjuːtəfli/

in a beautiful manner

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

Boulogne

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

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

CollinsnounUS /ˈkɑːlɪnz/

English writer noted for early detective novels (1824-1889)

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading We shall come to Paris on Monday, the 12th, arriving there in the evening.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

cottagenounUS /ˈkɑːtədʒ/

a small house with a single story

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Do not tell this to Le Vieux.

EnglishnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

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

From this reading We shall come to Paris on Monday, the 12th, arriving there in the evening.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

illadjectiveUS /ɪl/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.

lanesnounUS /leɪnz/

plural of “lane” — a narrow way or road

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

LenounUS /lə/

a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)

From this reading Do not tell this to Le Vieux.

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.

MondaynounUS /ˈmʌndi/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading We shall come to Paris on Monday, the 12th, arriving there in the evening.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Do not tell this to Le Vieux.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

paintedadjectiveUS /ˈpeɪntɪd/

coated with paint

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

painternounUS /ˈpeɪntər/

an artist who paints

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

ParisnounUS /ˈperɪs/

the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

purposenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəs/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

stayverbUS /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.

stumbleverbUS /ˈstʌmbəl/

walk unsteadily

From this reading Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.

SundaynounUS /ˈsʌndeɪ/

first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading Do not tell this to Le Vieux.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Do not tell this to Le Vieux.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I purpose leaving here on Sunday, the 11th, but I shall stay that night at Boulogne to see two of my little boys who are at school there.

UnlessconjunctionUS /ənˈles/

except if; if not

From this reading Unless I have the ill fortune to stumble against him in the street I shall not make my arrival known to him.

Vieux

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

From this reading Do not tell this to Le Vieux.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We shall come to Paris on Monday, the 12th, arriving there in the evening.

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I am coming to Paris for a week, with my friend Collins--son of the English painter who painted our green lanes and our cottage children so beautifully.

Chapter 15 of The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856 by Charles Dickens holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 15 of The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856 contain?

Chapter 15 holds 403 sentences of The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856 by Charles Dickens exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 15 of The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856

Common questions about reading The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856 by Charles Dickens on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856?

Yes. All 6921 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25852 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #25852, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856 take to read?

About 576 minutes of reading across 1385 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856 section by section

How to work through The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Reader
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Things
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Handwritten
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Denoted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Charles Dickens. Vol. 1, 1833-1856; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.