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The Two Destinies
The Two Destinies

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of The Two Destinies is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Two Destinies
Context Illustration Reading 1/18 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
WHAT emotion had I thoughtlessly aroused in Miss Dunross?
Had I offended or distressed her?
Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?
I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.
What effect had she produced on me?
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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 XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of The Two Destinies is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
WHAT emotion had I thoughtlessly aroused in Miss Dunross?
Line 2
Had I offended or distressed her?
/hæd aɪ əˈfendəd ɔːr dɪˈstrest hɜːr/
Line 3
Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?
/ɔːr hæd aɪ wɪˈθaʊt ˈmiːnɪŋ ɪt fɔːrst ɑːn hɜːr ˈɪnər ˈnɑːlədʒ sʌm ˈdiːpli ˈsiːtɪd ˈfiːlɪŋ wɪtʃ ʃiː hæd ðʌs fɑːr ˈresəluːtli ˌɪɡˈnɔːrd/
Line 4
I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.
/aɪ lʊkt bæk θruː ðə deɪz ʌv maɪ ˈsoʊdʒərn ɪn ðə haʊs aɪ ˈkwestʃənd maɪ oʊn ˈfiːlɪŋz ənd ˌɪmˈpreʃənz ɑːn ðə tʃæns ðæt ðeɪ maɪt sɜːrv miː æz ə miːnz ʌv ˈsɑːlvɪŋ ðə ˈmɪstəri ʌv hɜːr ˈsʌdən flaɪt frʌm ðə ruːm/
Line 5
What effect had she produced on me?
/wʌt ɪˈfekt hæd ʃiː prəˈduːst ɑːn miː/

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.

aroused adjective US /ərˈaʊzd/

aroused to action

From this reading “WHAT emotion had I thoughtlessly aroused in Miss Dunross?”

distressed adjective US /dɪˈstrest/

facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty

From this reading “Had I offended or distressed her?”

ignored adjective US /ˌɪɡˈnɔːrd/

disregarded

From this reading “Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?”

impressions noun US /ˌɪmˈpreʃənz/

plural of “impression” — a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading “I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.”

offended adjective US /əˈfendəd/

emotionally hurt or upset or annoyed

From this reading “Had I offended or distressed her?”

resolutely adverb US /ˈresəluːtli/

showing firm determination or purpose

From this reading “Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?”

sojourn noun US /ˈsoʊdʒərn/

a temporary stay (e.g., as a guest)

From this reading “I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.”

solving noun US /ˈsɑːlvɪŋ/

finding a solution to a problem

From this reading “I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

arousedadjectiveUS /ərˈaʊzd/

aroused to action

From this reading WHAT emotion had I thoughtlessly aroused in Miss Dunross?

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

chancenounUS /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

deeplyadverbUS /ˈdiːpli/

to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

distressedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstrest/

facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty

From this reading Had I offended or distressed her?

Dunross

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

From this reading WHAT emotion had I thoughtlessly aroused in Miss Dunross?

effectnounUS /ɪˈfekt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading What effect had she produced on me?

emotionnounUS /ɪˈmoʊʃən/

any strong feeling

From this reading WHAT emotion had I thoughtlessly aroused in Miss Dunross?

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

feelingsnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋz/

emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

flightnounUS /flaɪt/

a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

forcedadjectiveUS /fɔːrst/

produced by or subjected to forcing

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading WHAT emotion had I thoughtlessly aroused in Miss Dunross?

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Had I offended or distressed her?

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading WHAT emotion had I thoughtlessly aroused in Miss Dunross?

ignoredadjectiveUS /ˌɪɡˈnɔːrd/

disregarded

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

impressionsnounUS /ˌɪmˈpreʃənz/

plural of “impression” — a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading WHAT emotion had I thoughtlessly aroused in Miss Dunross?

inneradjectiveUS /ˈɪnər/

located inward

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

knowledgenounUS /ˈnɑːlədʒ/

the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading WHAT emotion had I thoughtlessly aroused in Miss Dunross?

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

mysterynounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

offendedadjectiveUS /əˈfendəd/

emotionally hurt or upset or annoyed

From this reading Had I offended or distressed her?

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Had I offended or distressed her?

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

producedverbUS /prəˈduːst/

past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading What effect had she produced on me?

questionedverbUS /ˈkwestʃənd/

past form of “question” — challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

resolutelyadverbUS /ˈresəluːtli/

showing firm determination or purpose

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

seatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

serveverbUS /sɜːrv/

serve a purpose, role, or function

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

sojournnounUS /ˈsoʊdʒərn/

a temporary stay (e.g., as a guest)

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

solvingnounUS /ˈsɑːlvɪŋ/

finding a solution to a problem

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

thoughtlesslyadverb

in a thoughtless manner

From this reading WHAT emotion had I thoughtlessly aroused in Miss Dunross?

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading I looked back through the days of my sojourn in the house; I questioned my own feelings and impressions, on the chance that they might serve me as a means of solving the mystery of her sudden flight from the room.

thusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

WHATpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading WHAT emotion had I thoughtlessly aroused in Miss Dunross?

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Or had I, without meaning it, forced on her inner knowledge some deeply seated feeling which she had thus far resolutely ignored?

Chapter 21 of The Two Destinies by Wilkie Collins holds 90 sentences, grouped into 18 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.

What does chapter 21 of The Two Destinies contain?

Chapter 21 holds 90 sentences of The Two Destinies, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The Two Destinies by Wilkie Collins exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 90 sentences, grouped into 18 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 21 of The Two Destinies?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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, a public-domain edition. 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.