Chapter 11 of The Two Magics is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of The Two Magics is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“No, but he _will_”--Cora was clear as a bell. “He’ll do it to keep the house. It’s mortgaged to papa, and Captain Yule buys it back.” Her friend had an illumination that was rapid for the way it spread. “By marrying you?” she quavered.
Chapter 11 of The Two Magics is here in full — 404 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.
plural of “buy” — an advantageous purchase
From this reading “It’s mortgaged to papa, and Captain Yule buys it back.””
(Greek mythology) daughter of Zeus and Demeter; made queen of the underworld by Pluto in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Proserpina
From this reading ““No, but he _will_”--Cora was clear as a bell.”
a condition of spiritual awareness; divine illumination
From this reading “Her friend had an illumination that was rapid for the way it spread.”
-ing form of “marry” — take in marriage
From this reading ““By marrying you?” she quavered.”
burdened with legal or financial obligations
From this reading “It’s mortgaged to papa, and Captain Yule buys it back.””
past form of “quaver” — give off unsteady sounds, alternating in amplitude or frequency
From this reading ““By marrying you?” she quavered.”
done or occurring in a brief period of time
From this reading “Her friend had an illumination that was rapid for the way it spread.”
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading “It’s mortgaged to papa, and Captain Yule buys it back.””
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
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 “No, but he _will_”--Cora was clear as a bell.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Her friend had an illumination that was rapid for the way it spread.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It’s mortgaged to papa, and Captain Yule buys it back.”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “No, but he _will_”--Cora was clear as a bell.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading It’s mortgaged to papa, and Captain Yule buys it back.”
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading “No, but he _will_”--Cora was clear as a bell.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “No, but he _will_”--Cora was clear as a bell.
plural of “buy” — an advantageous purchase
From this reading It’s mortgaged to papa, and Captain Yule buys it back.”
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “By marrying you?” she quavered.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading It’s mortgaged to papa, and Captain Yule buys it back.”
rid of obstructions
From this reading “No, but he _will_”--Cora was clear as a bell.
(Greek mythology) daughter of Zeus and Demeter; made queen of the underworld by Pluto in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Proserpina
From this reading “No, but he _will_”--Cora was clear as a bell.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “He’ll do it to keep the house.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Her friend had an illumination that was rapid for the way it spread.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Her friend had an illumination that was rapid for the way it spread.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Her friend had an illumination that was rapid for the way it spread.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “No, but he _will_”--Cora was clear as a bell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “He’ll do it to keep the house.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her friend had an illumination that was rapid for the way it spread.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading “He’ll do it to keep the house.
a condition of spiritual awareness; divine illumination
From this reading Her friend had an illumination that was rapid for the way it spread.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “He’ll do it to keep the house.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It’s mortgaged to papa, and Captain Yule buys it back.”
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading “He’ll do it to keep the house.
-ing form of “marry” — take in marriage
From this reading “By marrying you?” she quavered.
burdened with legal or financial obligations
From this reading It’s mortgaged to papa, and Captain Yule buys it back.”
not any; not one
From this reading “No, but he _will_”--Cora was clear as a bell.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading It’s mortgaged to papa, and Captain Yule buys it back.”
past form of “quaver” — give off unsteady sounds, alternating in amplitude or frequency
From this reading “By marrying you?” she quavered.
done or occurring in a brief period of time
From this reading Her friend had an illumination that was rapid for the way it spread.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “By marrying you?” she quavered.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading Her friend had an illumination that was rapid for the way it spread.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Her friend had an illumination that was rapid for the way it spread.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “He’ll do it to keep the house.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “He’ll do it to keep the house.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “No, but he _will_”--Cora was clear as a bell.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Her friend had an illumination that was rapid for the way it spread.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “No, but he _will_”--Cora was clear as a bell.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “By marrying you?” she quavered.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading It’s mortgaged to papa, and Captain Yule buys it back.”
Chapter 11 of The Two Magics by Henry James holds 404 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 11 holds 404 sentences of The Two Magics, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of The Two Magics by Henry James exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 404 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 11 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 Magics by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5240 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42486 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #42486, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 436 minutes of reading across 1048 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Two Magics section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Two Magics 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 Magics, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
