Chapter 13 of The Tragic Muse is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of The Tragic Muse is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"For deserting us altogether." He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll. Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you." "Good acting? Ah what's the best acting compared with the position of a true English lady?
Chapter 13 of The Tragic Muse 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
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.
the performance of a part or role in a drama
From this reading “Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."”
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading “"For deserting us altogether."”
past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading “Ah what's the best acting compared with the position of a true English lady?”
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading “Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."”
-ing form of “desert” — leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading “"For deserting us altogether."”
comical in an odd or whimsical manner
From this reading “He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll.”
the sound of laughing
From this reading “He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll.”
the branch of philosophy that analyzes inference
From this reading “He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll.”
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 Ah what's the best acting compared with the position of a true English lady?
the performance of a part or role in a drama
From this reading Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ah what's the best acting compared with the position of a true English lady?
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading "For deserting us altogether."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading Ah what's the best acting compared with the position of a true English lady?
lacking funds
From this reading He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll.
past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading Ah what's the best acting compared with the position of a true English lady?
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."
-ing form of “desert” — leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading "For deserting us altogether."
comical in an odd or whimsical manner
From this reading He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll.
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 Ah what's the best acting compared with the position of a true English lady?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "For deserting us altogether."
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading Ah what's the best acting compared with the position of a true English lady?
the sound of laughing
From this reading He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll.
the branch of philosophy that analyzes inference
From this reading He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Ah what's the best acting compared with the position of a true English lady?
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading Ah what's the best acting compared with the position of a true English lady?
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading Ah what's the best acting compared with the position of a true English lady?
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "For deserting us altogether."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He broke into laughter at this, the logic was so droll.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ah what's the best acting compared with the position of a true English lady?
in the company of; together with
From this reading Ah what's the best acting compared with the position of a true English lady?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Then he went on: "Show me some good acting and I won't desert you."
Chapter 13 of The Tragic Muse by Henry James 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.
Chapter 13 holds 403 sentences of The Tragic Muse, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of The Tragic Muse by Henry James 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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 Tragic Muse by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 11417 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20085 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20085, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2284 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Tragic Muse section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Tragic Muse 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 Tragic Muse, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
