Chapter 26 of Balsamo, the Magician is here in full — 246 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of Balsamo, the Magician is here in full — 246 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
WHO MASTER JACQUES WAS. While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags. At nine Therese rushed in. "Quick, quick!" she cried to Jacques, who raised his head. "Come out.
Chapter 26 of Balsamo, the Magician is here in full — 246 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/49 · 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 “attempt” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading “While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.”
plural of “bag” — a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading “While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.”
any of various edible seeds of plants of the family Leguminosae used for food
From this reading “While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.”
(of a surface) not written or printed on
From this reading “While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.”
a natural object that covers or envelops
From this reading “While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.”
someone who has entered a religious order but has not taken final vows
From this reading “While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.”
possessive form of “printer” — someone whose occupation is printing
From this reading “While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.”
plural of “proof” — any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something
From this reading “While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.”
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.
In this reading “While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.”
In this reading “While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.”
In this reading “At nine Therese rushed in.”
appear or become visible; make a showing
In this reading “"Come out.”
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.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At nine Therese rushed in.
plural of “attempt” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
plural of “bag” — a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
any of various edible seeds of plants of the family Leguminosae used for food
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
(of a surface) not written or printed on
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Come out.
a natural object that covers or envelops
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Quick, quick!" she cried to Jacques, who raised his head.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
a man of refinement
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading "Quick, quick!" she cried to Jacques, who raised his head.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At nine Therese rushed in.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHO MASTER JACQUES WAS.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading WHO MASTER JACQUES WAS.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading At nine Therese rushed in.
someone who has entered a religious order but has not taken final vows
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Come out.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
possessive form of “printer” — someone whose occupation is printing
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
plural of “proof” — any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading "Quick, quick!" she cried to Jacques, who raised his head.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading "Quick, quick!" she cried to Jacques, who raised his head.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
done under pressure
From this reading At nine Therese rushed in.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Quick, quick!" she cried to Jacques, who raised his head.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At nine Therese rushed in.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WHO MASTER JACQUES WAS.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
during the time that
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
which person or people
From this reading WHO MASTER JACQUES WAS.
in the company of; together with
From this reading While the novice was covering the paper with his first attempts, the old gentleman set to reading printer's proofs--long leaves blank on one side like the paper of which was made the bean bags.
Chapter 26 of Balsamo, the Magician by Alexandre Dumas holds 246 sentences, grouped into 50 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 26 holds 246 sentences of Balsamo, the Magician, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of Balsamo, the Magician by Alexandre Dumas exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 246 sentences, grouped into 50 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 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 50 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 26 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 Balsamo, the Magician by Alexandre Dumas on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6299 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45822 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #45822, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 524 minutes of reading across 1260 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Balsamo, the Magician section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Balsamo, the Magician 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 Balsamo, the Magician, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
