Whither Thou Goest

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Whither Thou Goest is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William Le Queux • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

The young man looked at his chief calmly.

"I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

"Ah, there is something in that," agreed the older man.

"A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

It is the penalty of the sex."

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XII Reading 1/84

Whither Thou Goest

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Whither Thou Goest is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

The young man looked at his chief calmly.

/ðə jʌŋ mæn lʊkt æt hɪz tʃiːf ˈkɑːmli/

Line 2

"I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

Line 3

"Ah, there is something in that," agreed the older man.

Line 4

"A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

/ə ˈwʊmən meɪ hæv ðə breɪnz ʌv ə mæn aɪ əˈɡriː ðæt ɪz tuː seɪ æn ɪkˈsepʃənəl ˈwʊmən bʌt kʌm tuː ə ˈkruːʃəl ˈmoʊmənt ənd ðə breɪn wɪl biː ˈdɑːməneɪtəd baɪ ðə nɜːrvz/

Line 5

It is the penalty of the sex."

/ɪt ɪz ðə ˈpenəlti ʌv ðə seks/

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.

brains noun US /breɪnz/

plural of “brain” — that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading “"A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.”

crucial adjective US /ˈkruːʃəl/

of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis

From this reading “"A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.”

dominated adjective US /ˈdɑːməneɪtəd/

controlled or ruled by superior authority or power

From this reading “"A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.”

exceptional adjective US /ɪkˈsepʃənəl/

far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree

From this reading “"A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.”

lacked verb US /lækt/

past form of “lack” — be without

From this reading “"I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."”

nerve noun US /nɜːrv/

any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body

From this reading “"I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."”

penalty noun US /ˈpenəlti/

the act of punishing

From this reading “It is the penalty of the sex."”

subtle adjective US /ˈsʌtəl/

difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze

From this reading “"I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

crucial moment adjective + noun

In this reading “"A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.”

young man adjective + noun

a teenager or a young adult male

In this reading “The young man looked at his chief calmly.”

looked at verb + particle counted as “look at”

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “The young man looked at his chief calmly.”

older man adjective + noun

In this reading “"Ah, there is something in that," agreed the older man.”

much more adverb + adjective

In this reading “"I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."”

All words in this reading · 54

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 "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

agreeverbUS /əˈɡriː/

be in accord; be in agreement

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

agreedadjectiveUS /əˈɡriːd/

united by being of the same opinion

From this reading "Ah, there is something in that," agreed the older man.

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

From this reading "Ah, there is something in that," agreed the older man.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The young man looked at his chief calmly.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

brainnounUS /breɪn/

that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

brainsnounUS /breɪnz/

plural of “brain” — that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

calmlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːmli/

with self-possession (especially in times of stress)

From this reading The young man looked at his chief calmly.

chiefnounUS /tʃiːf/

a person who is in charge

From this reading The young man looked at his chief calmly.

cleveradjectiveUS /ˈklevər/

showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others

From this reading "I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

crucialadjectiveUS /ˈkruːʃəl/

of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

daresay

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

From this reading "I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

dominatedadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːməneɪtəd/

controlled or ruled by superior authority or power

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

exceptionaladjectiveUS /ɪkˈsepʃənəl/

far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The young man looked at his chief calmly.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Ah, there is something in that," agreed the older man.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Ah, there is something in that," agreed the older man.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is the penalty of the sex."

lackedverbUS /lækt/

past form of “lack” — be without

From this reading "I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

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

From this reading The young man looked at his chief calmly.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The young man looked at his chief calmly.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading "I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading "I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

nervenounUS /nɜːrv/

any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body

From this reading "I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

nervesnounUS /nɜːrvz/

an uneasy psychological state

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

olderadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldər/

advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)

From this reading "Ah, there is something in that," agreed the older man.

penaltynounUS /ˈpenəlti/

the act of punishing

From this reading It is the penalty of the sex."

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

sexnounUS /seks/

activities associated with sexual intercourse

From this reading It is the penalty of the sex."

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading "Ah, there is something in that," agreed the older man.

subtleadjectiveUS /ˈsʌtəl/

difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze

From this reading "I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading "I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Ah, there is something in that," agreed the older man.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The young man looked at his chief calmly.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "Ah, there is something in that," agreed the older man.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "I daresay she was much more clever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading "A woman may have the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman, but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by the nerves.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading The young man looked at his chief calmly.

Chapter 12 of Whither Thou Goest by William Le Queux holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 12 of Whither Thou Goest contain?

Chapter 12 holds 423 sentences of Whither Thou Goest, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Whither Thou Goest by William Le Queux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 12 of Whither Thou Goest?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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.

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Is this the complete text of Whither Thou Goest?

Yes. All 5971 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41184 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #41184, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 497 minutes of reading across 1195 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Whither Thou Goest

Words and structures a reader meets early in Whither Thou Goest, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Whither: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Whither Thou Goest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Goest: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Whither Thou Goest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
William: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Whither Thou Goest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Queux: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Whither Thou Goest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XII

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