Chapter 28 of The Two Destinies is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter 28 of The Two Destinies is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first. "You have said nothing to me about yourself," she began. "Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?" "I cannot honestly say that it is," I answered. "Is there any prospect of your being married?"
Chapter 28 of The Two Destinies is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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 “FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.”
the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public
From this reading “FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.”
comparative of “happy” — enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading “"Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?"”
(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that
From this reading “"I cannot honestly say that it is," I answered.”
joined in matrimony
From this reading “"Is there any prospect of your being married?"”
unpleasantly
From this reading “FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.”
the possibility of future success
From this reading “"Is there any prospect of your being married?"”
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 “FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.”
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 "Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?"
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "You have said nothing to me about yourself," she began.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "I cannot honestly say that it is," I answered.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "Is there any prospect of your being married?"
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "You have said nothing to me about yourself," she began.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading "Is there any prospect of your being married?"
German statesman who as chancellor of West Germany worked to reduce tensions with eastern Europe (1913-1992)
From this reading FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I cannot honestly say that it is," I answered.
the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public
From this reading FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
comparative of “happy” — enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading "Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?"
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "You have said nothing to me about yourself," she began.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that
From this reading "I cannot honestly say that it is," I answered.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I cannot honestly say that it is," I answered.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?"
immediately past
From this reading "Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?"
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading "Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?"
joined in matrimony
From this reading "Is there any prospect of your being married?"
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "You have said nothing to me about yourself," she began.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading "Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?"
a particular point in time
From this reading FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
used to form the superlative
From this reading FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "You have said nothing to me about yourself," she began.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?"
unpleasantly
From this reading FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
the possibility of future success
From this reading "Is there any prospect of your being married?"
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "You have said nothing to me about yourself," she began.
express in words
From this reading "I cannot honestly say that it is," I answered.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "You have said nothing to me about yourself," she began.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I cannot honestly say that it is," I answered.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Is there any prospect of your being married?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "You have said nothing to me about yourself," she began.
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 FEELING the embarrassment of the moment most painfully on her side, Mrs. Van Brandt spoke first.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?"
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?"
at the time that
From this reading "Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You have said nothing to me about yourself," she began.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Is your life a happier one than it was when we last met?"
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading "You have said nothing to me about yourself," she began.
Chapter 28 of The Two Destinies by Wilkie Collins holds 113 sentences, grouped into 23 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 28 holds 113 sentences of The Two Destinies, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 28 of The Two Destinies by Wilkie Collins exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 113 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 28 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.
