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Some Short Stories [by Henry James]
Some Short Stories [by Henry James]

Chapter XV

Cover illustration for Some Short Stories [by Henry James]
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.
The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.
She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.
Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.
She was clearly not contented with once--she wished to be prettier again.
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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.

Some Short Stories [by Henry James]

Chapter XV

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.
Line 2
The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.
Line 3
She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.
Line 4
Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.
Line 5
She was clearly not contented with once--she wished to be prettier again.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Again noun US /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “She was clearly not contented with once--she wished to be prettier again.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.”

Every determiner US /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading “She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.”

Half noun US /half/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.”

Insisted verb US /ɪnˈsɪstɪd/

demanded something firmly

From this reading “Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.”

Might modal verb US /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.”

Once noun US /once/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.”

Poor noun US /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.”

Remarkable noun US /ˈremarkable/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.”

Well noun US /well/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.”

All words in this reading · 91

Every word is available to listen to. 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 "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

admirably

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

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

affirmed

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

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

againnounUS /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading She was clearly not contented with once--she wished to be prettier again.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

AREauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

Audley

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

boldly

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

broke

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

certainly

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

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

clearly

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

From this reading She was clearly not contented with once--she wished to be prettier again.

concise

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

contented

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

From this reading She was clearly not contented with once--she wished to be prettier again.

controlled

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

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

convenient

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

Cutter

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

disconcerting

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

doubt

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

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

end

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

enough

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

excuse

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

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

explanation

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

hadn't

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

halfnounUS /half/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

half-brother

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

independence

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

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

insistedverbUS /ɪnˈsɪstɪd/

demanded something firmly

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

just

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

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

lady

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

lady's

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

lived

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

manner

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

maturity

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

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

Miss

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

much

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

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

observed

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

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

once

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

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

out

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

pair

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

pass

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

past

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

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

poornounUS /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

present

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

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

prettier

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

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

remarkablenounUS /ˈremarkable/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

seen

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

South

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

stoutness

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

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

Street

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

sufficiently

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

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

symptom

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

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

tendency

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

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

three

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

too

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

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

upper

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

valid

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

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

visitor

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

Well

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

From this reading "Well, we ARE a pair!" the poor lady's visitor broke out to her at the end of her explanation in a manner disconcerting enough.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading She was remarkable for a maturity of which every symptom might have been observed to be admirably controlled, had not a tendency to stoutness just affirmed its independence.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.

wished

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

From this reading She was clearly not contented with once--she wished to be prettier again.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Her present, no doubt, insisted too much on her past, but with the excuse, sufficiently valid, that she must certainly once have been prettier.

years

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

From this reading The poor lady was Miss Cutter, who lived in South Audley Street, where she had an "upper half" so concise that it had to pass boldly for convenient; and her visitor was her half-brother, whom she hadn't seen for three years.