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The Two Destinies
The Two Destinies

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Two Destinies is here in full — 72 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Two Destinies
Context Illustration Reading 1/14 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.
Rise again, my boyhood's days, by the winding green shores of the little lake.
Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.
Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.
The month was March.
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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 Two Destinies

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Two Destinies is here in full — 72 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/14 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.
/lʊk bæk maɪ ˈmem.ər.i θruː ðə dɪm ˈlæbərɪnθ ʌv ðə pæst θruː ðə ˈmɪŋɡəlɪŋ dʒɔɪz ənd ˈsɑːroʊz ʌv ˈtwenti jɪrz/
Line 2
Rise again, my boyhood's days, by the winding green shores of the little lake.
Line 3
Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.
Line 4
Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.
/let ʌs laɪv əˈɡen maɪ ˈeɪndʒəl æz wiː lɪvd ɪn ˈaʊər fɜːrst ˈperədaɪs bɪˈfɔːr sɪn ənd ˈsɑːroʊ ˈlɪftəd ðer ˈfleɪmɪŋ sɔːrdz ənd droʊv ʌs aʊt ˈɪntuː ðə wɜːrld/
Line 5
The month was March.
/ðə mʌnθ wɑːz mɑːrtʃ/

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.

flaming adjective US /ˈfleɪmɪŋ/

informal intensifiers

From this reading “Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.”

joys noun US /dʒɔɪz/

plural of “joy” — the emotion of great happiness

From this reading “LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.”

labyrinth noun US /ˈlæbərɪnθ/

complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost

From this reading “LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.”

mingling noun US /ˈmɪŋɡəlɪŋ/

the action of people mingling and coming into contact

From this reading “LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.”

shores noun US /ʃɔːrz/

plural of “shore” — the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading “Rise again, my boyhood's days, by the winding green shores of the little lake.”

sorrows noun US /ˈsɑːroʊz/

plural of “sorrow” — an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading “LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.”

swords noun US /sɔːrdz/

plural of “sword” — a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

From this reading “Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.”

winding adjective US /ˈwaɪndɪŋ/

marked by repeated turns and bends

From this reading “Rise again, my boyhood's days, by the winding green shores of the little lake.”

All words in this reading · 62

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Rise again, my boyhood's days, by the winding green shores of the little lake.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

angelnounUS /ˈeɪndʒəl/

spiritual being attendant upon God

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

boyhood's

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

From this reading Rise again, my boyhood's days, by the winding green shores of the little lake.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Rise again, my boyhood's days, by the winding green shores of the little lake.

child-love

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

From this reading Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.

ComeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Rise again, my boyhood's days, by the winding green shores of the little lake.

dimadjectiveUS /dɪm/

lacking in light; not bright or harsh

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

drovenounUS /droʊv/

a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.

flamingadjectiveUS /ˈfleɪmɪŋ/

informal intensifiers

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading Rise again, my boyhood's days, by the winding green shores of the little lake.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.

innocentadjectiveUS /ˈɪnəsənt/

free from evil or guilt

From this reading Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

joysnounUS /dʒɔɪz/

plural of “joy” — the emotion of great happiness

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

labyrinthnounUS /ˈlæbərɪnθ/

complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

lakenounUS /leɪk/

a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

From this reading Rise again, my boyhood's days, by the winding green shores of the little lake.

Letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.

liftedadjectiveUS /ˈlɪftəd/

held up in the air

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Rise again, my boyhood's days, by the winding green shores of the little lake.

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

LOOKverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

MarchverbUS /mɑːrtʃ/

march in a procession

From this reading The month was March.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.

memorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

minglingnounUS /ˈmɪŋɡəlɪŋ/

the action of people mingling and coming into contact

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

monthnounUS /mʌnθ/

one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading The month was March.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

paradisenounUS /ˈperədaɪs/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

RiseverbUS /raɪz/

move upward

From this reading Rise again, my boyhood's days, by the winding green shores of the little lake.

shoresnounUS /ʃɔːrz/

plural of “shore” — the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading Rise again, my boyhood's days, by the winding green shores of the little lake.

sinnounUS /sɪn/

estrangement from god

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

sorrownounUS /ˈsɑːroʊ/

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

sorrowsnounUS /ˈsɑːroʊz/

plural of “sorrow” — an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

swordsnounUS /sɔːrdz/

plural of “sword” — a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.

twentynounUS /ˈtwenti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The month was March.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

windingadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪndɪŋ/

marked by repeated turns and bends

From this reading Rise again, my boyhood's days, by the winding green shores of the little lake.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Let us live again, my angel, as we lived in our first paradise, before sin and sorrow lifted their flaming swords and drove us out into the world.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading LOOK back, my memory, through the dim labyrinth of the past, through the mingling joys and sorrows of twenty years.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Come to me once more, my child-love, in the innocent beauty of your first ten years of life.

Chapter 1 of The Two Destinies by Wilkie Collins holds 72 sentences, grouped into 15 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 1 of The Two Destinies contain?

Chapter 1 holds 72 sentences of The Two Destinies, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Two Destinies by Wilkie Collins exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 72 sentences, grouped into 15 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 1 of The Two Destinies?

Work through the 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 15 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Two Destinies

Common questions about reading The Two Destinies by Wilkie Collins on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Two Destinies?

Yes. All 5554 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1624 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Two Destinies is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1624, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Two Destinies take to read?

About 462 minutes of reading across 1111 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Two Destinies section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 37 chapters of The Two Destinies to begin.

  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 Two Destinies

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

Memory
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Two Destinies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Through
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Two Destinies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Labyrinth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Two Destinies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mingling
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Two Destinies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.