Chapter 10 of The Real Thing and Other Tales is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of The Real Thing and Other Tales is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“He was a high celebrity. You’ve often heard of him.” Baron wondered an instant. “I’ve no doubt you’re a princess!” he said with a laugh. She made him nervous.
Chapter 10 of The Real Thing and Other Tales is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank
From this reading “Baron wondered an instant.”
a widely known person
From this reading ““He was a high celebrity.”
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading ““I’ve no doubt you’re a princess!” he said with a laugh.”
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading “Baron wondered an instant.”
the sound of laughing
From this reading ““I’ve no doubt you’re a princess!” he said with a laugh.”
easily agitated
From this reading “She made him nervous.”
The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.
From this reading ““I’ve no doubt you’re a princess!” he said with a laugh.”
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading “Baron wondered an instant.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “He was a high celebrity.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Baron wondered an instant.
a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank
From this reading Baron wondered an instant.
a widely known person
From this reading “He was a high celebrity.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading “I’ve no doubt you’re a princess!” he said with a laugh.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “He was a high celebrity.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading You’ve often heard of him.”
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading “He was a high celebrity.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading You’ve often heard of him.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve no doubt you’re a princess!” he said with a laugh.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading Baron wondered an instant.
the sound of laughing
From this reading “I’ve no doubt you’re a princess!” he said with a laugh.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading She made him nervous.
easily agitated
From this reading She made him nervous.
not any; not one
From this reading “I’ve no doubt you’re a princess!” he said with a laugh.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading You’ve often heard of him.”
many times at short intervals
From this reading You’ve often heard of him.”
The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.
From this reading “I’ve no doubt you’re a princess!” he said with a laugh.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I’ve no doubt you’re a princess!” he said with a laugh.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She made him nervous.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “He was a high celebrity.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “I’ve no doubt you’re a princess!” he said with a laugh.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading Baron wondered an instant.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve no doubt you’re a princess!” he said with a laugh.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You’ve often heard of him.”
Chapter 10 of The Real Thing and Other Tales by Henry James holds 163 sentences, grouped into 33 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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.
Chapter 10 holds 163 sentences of The Real Thing and Other Tales, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of The Real Thing and Other Tales by Henry James exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 163 sentences, grouped into 33 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.
Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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.
Common questions about reading The Real Thing and Other Tales by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3216 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2715 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2715, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 268 minutes of reading across 644 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Real Thing and Other Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Real Thing and Other Tales to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Real Thing and Other Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
