Les Misérables

Chapter CCLXVI

Chapter 266 of Les Misérables is here in full — 83 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Victor Hugo • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Jean Valjean’s purse was of no use to M. Mabeuf.

M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

He had not divined that what had fallen from heaven had come from Gavroche.

He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

The purse was actually lost.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter CCLXVI Reading 1/16

Les Misérables

Chapter CCLXVI

Chapter 266 of Les Misérables is here in full — 83 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Jean Valjean’s purse was of no use to M. Mabeuf.

Line 2

M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

Line 3

He had not divined that what had fallen from heaven had come from Gavroche.

Line 4

He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

/hiː hæd ˈteɪkən ðə pɜːrs tuː ðə pəˈliːs kəˈmɪʃənər ʌv ðə ˈkwɔːrtər æz ə lɔːst ˈɑːrtəkəl pleɪst baɪ ðə ˈfaɪndər æt ðə dɪˈspoʊzəl ʌv ˈkleɪmənts/

Line 5

The purse was actually lost.

/ðə pɜːrs wɑːz ˈæktʃuːəli lɔːst/

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.

austerity noun US /ˌɔːˈsterɪti/

the trait of great self-denial (especially refraining from worldly pleasures)

From this reading “M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.”

claimants noun US /ˈkleɪmənts/

plural of “claimant” — someone who claims a benefit or right or title

From this reading “He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.”

coin verb US /kɔɪn/

make up

From this reading “M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.”

commissioner noun US /kəˈmɪʃənər/

a government administrator

From this reading “He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.”

disposal noun US /dɪˈspoʊzəl/

the power to use something or someone

From this reading “He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.”

finder noun US /ˈfaɪndər/

someone who comes upon something after searching

From this reading “He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.”

infantile adjective US /ˈɪnfəntɪl/

indicating a lack of maturity

From this reading “M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.”

venerable adjective US /ˈvenərəbəl/

impressive by reason of age

From this reading “M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.”

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.

police commissioner noun + noun

a civil commissioner appointed to supervise the duties and discipline of the police

In this reading “He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.”

at the disposal preposition + article + noun counted as “at … disposal”

In this reading “He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.”

from heaven preposition + noun

In this reading “He had not divined that what had fallen from heaven had come from Gavroche.”

come from verb + particle

In this reading “He had not divined that what had fallen from heaven had come from Gavroche.”

All words in this reading · 53

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 M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

acceptedadjectiveUS /ækˈseptɪd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

actuallyadverbUS /ˈæktʃuːəli/

in actual fact

From this reading The purse was actually lost.

admittedverbUS /ədˈmɪtɪd/

inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

articlenounUS /ˈɑːrtəkəl/

nonfictional prose forming an independent part of a publication

From this reading He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

austeritynounUS /ˌɔːˈsterɪti/

the trait of great self-denial (especially refraining from worldly pleasures)

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

claimantsnounUS /ˈkleɪmənts/

plural of “claimant” — someone who claims a benefit or right or title

From this reading He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

coinverbUS /kɔɪn/

make up

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading He had not divined that what had fallen from heaven had come from Gavroche.

commissionernounUS /kəˈmɪʃənər/

a government administrator

From this reading He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

d'or

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

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

disposalnounUS /dɪˈspoʊzəl/

the power to use something or someone

From this reading He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

divined

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

From this reading He had not divined that what had fallen from heaven had come from Gavroche.

fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading He had not divined that what had fallen from heaven had come from Gavroche.

findernounUS /ˈfaɪndər/

someone who comes upon something after searching

From this reading He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He had not divined that what had fallen from heaven had come from Gavroche.

Gavroche

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

From this reading He had not divined that what had fallen from heaven had come from Gavroche.

giftnounUS /ɡɪft/

something acquired without compensation

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

heavennounUS /ˈhevən/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading He had not divined that what had fallen from heaven had come from Gavroche.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

infantileadjectiveUS /ˈɪnfəntɪl/

indicating a lack of maturity

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

JeannounUS /dʒiːn/

a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric

From this reading Jean Valjean’s purse was of no use to M. Mabeuf.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

louisnounUS /ˈluːɪs/

United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

MnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading Jean Valjean’s purse was of no use to M. Mabeuf.

Mabeuf

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

From this reading Jean Valjean’s purse was of no use to M. Mabeuf.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Jean Valjean’s purse was of no use to M. Mabeuf.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Jean Valjean’s purse was of no use to M. Mabeuf.

placedadjectiveUS /pleɪst/

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

policenounUS /pəˈliːs/

the force of policemen and officers

From this reading He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

pursenounUS /pɜːrs/

a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women)

From this reading Jean Valjean’s purse was of no use to M. Mabeuf.

quarternounUS /ˈkwɔːrtər/

one of four equal parts

From this reading He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

starnounUS /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

starsnounUS /stɑːrz/

plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading He had taken the purse to the police commissioner of the quarter, as a lost article placed by the finder at the disposal of claimants.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Jean Valjean’s purse was of no use to M. Mabeuf.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading Jean Valjean’s purse was of no use to M. Mabeuf.

Valjean's

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

From this reading Jean Valjean’s purse was of no use to M. Mabeuf.

venerableadjectiveUS /ˈvenərəbəl/

impressive by reason of age

From this reading M. Mabeuf, in his venerable, infantile austerity, had not accepted the gift of the stars; he had not admitted that a star could coin itself into louis d’or.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Jean Valjean’s purse was of no use to M. Mabeuf.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading He had not divined that what had fallen from heaven had come from Gavroche.

Chapter 266 of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo holds 83 sentences, grouped into 17 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 266 of Les Misérables contain?

Chapter 266 holds 83 sentences of Les Misérables, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 266 of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 83 sentences, grouped into 17 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 266 of Les Misérables?

Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 17 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 266 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 266 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.

Questions about reading Les Misérables

Common questions about reading Les Misérables by Victor Hugo on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Les Misérables?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Les Misérables is used?

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

How long does Les Misérables take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Les Misérables section by section

How to work through Les Misérables section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 0 chapters of Les Misérables to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Les Misérables

Words and structures a reader meets early in Les Misérables, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1: One of the 0 chapters of Les Misérables, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2: One of the 0 chapters of Les Misérables, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3: One of the 0 chapters of Les Misérables, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.

Chapter CCLXVI

What does chapter 266 of Les Misérables contain?

How do I study chapter 266 of Les Misérables?

Can chapter 266 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Les Misérables

How to read Les Misérables section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Les Misérables