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Sons of the Soil
Sons of the Soil

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Sons of the Soil is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.
Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.
A woman when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.
While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.
About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Sons of the Soil

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Sons of the Soil is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.
Line 2
Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.
/ɪkˈskluːsɪvli əbˈzɔːrbd baɪ wʌn ˈoʊnli ˈbiːɪŋ ðə soʊl ˈfaɪnəli ɡræsps ðə hoʊl ˈmɔːrəl wɜːrld wɪtʃ sərˈaʊndz ðæt ˈbiːɪŋ ɪt siːz ˈklɪrli/
Line 3
A woman when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.
Line 4
While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.
Line 5
About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

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.

afar adverb US /əˈfɑːr/

(old-fashioned) at or from or to a great distance; far

From this reading “While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.”

disquiet noun US /dɪˈskwaɪət/

a feeling of mild anxiety about possible developments

From this reading “A woman when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.”

Exclusively adverb US /ɪkˈskluːsɪvli/

without any others being included or involved

From this reading “Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.”

grasps noun US /ɡræsps/

plural of “grasp” — understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something

From this reading “Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.”

happening noun US /ˈhæpənɪŋ/

an event that happens

From this reading “While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.”

husband's noun US /ˈhʌzbəndz/

possessive form of “husband” — a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

surrounds noun US /sərˈaʊndz/

plural of “surround” — the area in which something exists or lives

From this reading “Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.”

tavern noun US /ˈtævərn/

a building with a bar that is licensed to sell alcoholic drinks

From this reading “While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.”

All words in this reading · 80

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 when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.

AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

absorbedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɔːrbd/

giving or marked by complete attention to

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

afaradverbUS /əˈfɑːr/

(old-fashioned) at or from or to a great distance; far

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

clearlyadverbUS /ˈklɪrli/

without doubt or question

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

Conches

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

From this reading About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

confusedadjectiveUS /kənˈfjuːzd/

perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

disquietnounUS /dɪˈskwaɪət/

a feeling of mild anxiety about possible developments

From this reading A woman when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

effectnounUS /ɪˈfekt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.

ExclusivelyadverbUS /ɪkˈskluːsɪvli/

without any others being included or involved

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

fearsnounUS /fɪrz/

plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)

From this reading Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.

feelsnounUS /fiːlz/

plural of “feel” — an intuitive awareness

From this reading A woman when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.

finallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

gendarmerienoun

French police force; a group of gendarmes or gendarmes collectively

From this reading About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

Grand-I-Vert

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

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

graspsnounUS /ɡræsps/

plural of “grasp” — understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

happeningnounUS /ˈhæpənɪŋ/

an event that happens

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading A woman when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.

husband'snounUS /ˈhʌzbəndz/

possessive form of “husband” — a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading A woman when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

lovesnounUS /lʌvz/

plural of “love” — a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading A woman when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.

MadamenounUS /ˈmædəm/

title used for a married Frenchwoman

From this reading Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.

Michaud's

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

From this reading Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.

moraladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrəl/

concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading A woman when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

passionnounUS /ˈpæʃən/

a strong feeling or emotion

From this reading Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

presentiments

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

From this reading A woman when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

risers

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

From this reading About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading A woman when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.

scenenounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

seesnounUS /siːz/

plural of “see” — the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading A woman when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

Soulanges

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

From this reading About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

spacenounUS /speɪs/

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

surroundsnounUS /sərˈaʊndz/

plural of “surround” — the area in which something exists or lives

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

tavernnounUS /ˈtævərn/

a building with a bar that is licensed to sell alcoholic drinks

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.

threatenedadjectiveUS /ˈθretənd/

(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.

unknownadjectiveUS /ənˈnoʊn/

not known

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

voicesnounUS /ˈvɔɪsəz/

plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading About five o’clock that morning early risers had seen the gendarmerie of Soulanges on its way to Conches.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading A woman when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Madame Michaud’s fears were the effect of that second sight which comes of true passion.

WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading A woman when she loves feels the same presentiments which disquiet her later when a mother.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Exclusively absorbed by one only being, the soul finally grasps the whole moral world which surrounds that being; it sees clearly.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

From this reading While the poor young woman listened to the confused voices coming from afar across an unknown space, a scene was really happening in the tavern of the Grand-I-Vert which threatened her husband’s life.

Chapter 18 of Sons of the Soil by Honoré de Balzac holds 121 sentences, grouped into 25 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 18 of Sons of the Soil contain?

Chapter 18 holds 121 sentences of Sons of the Soil, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Sons of the Soil by Honoré de Balzac exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 121 sentences, grouped into 25 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 18 of Sons of the Soil?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 Sons of the Soil

Common questions about reading Sons of the Soil by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Sons of the Soil?

Yes. All 4784 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1417 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Sons of the Soil is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1417, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Sons of the Soil take to read?

About 398 minutes of reading across 957 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Sons of the Soil section by section

How to work through Sons of the Soil section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Sons of the Soil

Words and structures a reader meets early in Sons of the Soil, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Aigues
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sons of the Soil; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
August
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sons of the Soil; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nathan
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sons of the Soil; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Provide
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sons of the Soil; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.