Chapter 20 of The Two Destinies is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The Two Destinies is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words. Your description gives me a vivid idea of Mrs. Van Brandt." "Does the portrait please you, Miss Dunross?" "May I speak as plainly as usual?" "Certainly!"
Chapter 20 of The Two Destinies is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
German statesman who as chancellor of West Germany worked to reduce tensions with eastern Europe (1913-1992)
From this reading “Your description gives me a vivid idea of Mrs. Van Brandt."”
say something to someone that expresses praise
From this reading “"I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words.”
a statement that represents something in words
From this reading “Your description gives me a vivid idea of Mrs. Van Brandt."”
graphic art consisting of an artistic composition made by applying paints to a surface
From this reading “"I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words.”
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading “"May I speak as plainly as usual?"”
a word picture of a person's appearance and character
From this reading “"Does the portrait please you, Miss Dunross?"”
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 “Your description gives me a vivid idea of Mrs. Van Brandt."”
evoking lifelike images within the mind
From this reading “Your description gives me a vivid idea of Mrs. Van Brandt."”
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 Your description gives me a vivid idea of Mrs. Van Brandt."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "May I speak as plainly as usual?"
German statesman who as chancellor of West Germany worked to reduce tensions with eastern Europe (1913-1992)
From this reading Your description gives me a vivid idea of Mrs. Van Brandt."
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "Certainly!"
say something to someone that expresses praise
From this reading "I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words.
a statement that represents something in words
From this reading Your description gives me a vivid idea of Mrs. Van Brandt."
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Does the portrait please you, Miss Dunross?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Does the portrait please you, Miss Dunross?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words.
plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length
From this reading Your description gives me a vivid idea of Mrs. Van Brandt."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Your description gives me a vivid idea of Mrs. Van Brandt."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "May I speak as plainly as usual?"
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Your description gives me a vivid idea of Mrs. Van Brandt."
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "Does the portrait please you, Miss Dunross?"
a form of address for a man
From this reading "I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Your description gives me a vivid idea of Mrs. Van Brandt."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words.
graphic art consisting of an artistic composition made by applying paints to a surface
From this reading "I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading "May I speak as plainly as usual?"
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading "Does the portrait please you, Miss Dunross?"
a word picture of a person's appearance and character
From this reading "Does the portrait please you, Miss Dunross?"
possession of controlling influence
From this reading "I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words.
express in speech
From this reading "May I speak as plainly as usual?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Does the portrait please you, Miss Dunross?"
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading "May I speak as plainly as usual?"
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 Your description gives me a vivid idea of Mrs. Van Brandt."
evoking lifelike images within the mind
From this reading Your description gives me a vivid idea of Mrs. Van Brandt."
the words that are spoken
From this reading "I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I CONGRATULATE you, Mr. Germaine, on your power of painting in words.
Chapter 20 of The Two Destinies by Wilkie Collins holds 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 20 holds 119 sentences of The Two Destinies, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The Two Destinies by Wilkie Collins exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 20 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 Two Destinies by Wilkie Collins on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5554 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1624 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1624, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 462 minutes of reading across 1111 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Two Destinies section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 37 chapters of The Two Destinies 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 Two Destinies, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
