Chapter 8 of Desperate Remedies is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Desperate Remedies is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
‘I dare you to touch me!’ she cried. ‘Strike me if you dare, madam! I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’ Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words. She sank back in the chair.
Chapter 8 of Desperate Remedies is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading “I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’”
feeling shame or guilt or embarrassment or remorse
From this reading “Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.”
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading “‘I dare you to touch me!’ she cried.”
an instinctive motive
From this reading “Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.”
a woman of refinement
From this reading “‘Strike me if you dare, madam!”
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading “She sank back in the chair.”
deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
From this reading “‘Strike me if you dare, madam!”
not expected or anticipated
From this reading “Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.”
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.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’
feeling shame or guilt or embarrassment or remorse
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading She sank back in the chair.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading She sank back in the chair.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading ‘I dare you to touch me!’ she cried.
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading ‘I dare you to touch me!’ she cried.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading ‘I dare you to touch me!’ she cried.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading ‘Strike me if you dare, madam!
an instinctive motive
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She sank back in the chair.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
a woman of refinement
From this reading ‘Strike me if you dare, madam!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ‘I dare you to touch me!’ she cried.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading She sank back in the chair.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading ‘I dare you to touch me!’ she cried.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
From this reading ‘Strike me if you dare, madam!
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She sank back in the chair.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ‘I dare you to touch me!’ she cried.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading ‘I dare you to touch me!’ she cried.
not expected or anticipated
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I am not afraid of you--what do you mean by such an action as that?’
the words that are spoken
From this reading Miss Aldclyffe was disconcerted at this unexpected show of spirit, and ashamed of her unladylike impulse now it was put into words.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ‘I dare you to touch me!’ she cried.
Chapter 8 of Desperate Remedies by Thomas Hardy holds 203 sentences, grouped into 41 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 8 holds 203 sentences of Desperate Remedies, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Desperate Remedies by Thomas Hardy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 8 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 Desperate Remedies by Thomas Hardy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7979 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3044 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3044, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1596 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Desperate Remedies section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Desperate Remedies 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 Desperate Remedies, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
