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St. Ives
St. Ives

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of St. Ives is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for St. Ives
Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.
I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.
To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, my good-humour was restored.
The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

St. Ives

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of St. Ives is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.
Line 2
I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.
Line 3
To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.
Line 4
At the sound of approaching footsteps, my good-humour was restored.
Line 5
The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

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.

Alone adjective US /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading “I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.”

All words in this reading · 70

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.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

an

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

and

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

approaching

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

From this reading At the sound of approaching footsteps, my good-humour was restored.

at

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

back

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

be

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

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

behind

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

bipeds

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

but

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

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

closed

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

could

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

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

distressing

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

door

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

drink

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

eat

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

entered

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

flayed

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

floor

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

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

footsteps

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

From this reading At the sound of approaching footsteps, my good-humour was restored.

for

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

good-humour

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

From this reading At the sound of approaching footsteps, my good-humour was restored.

great

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

had

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

half

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

hands

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

him

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

his

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

hour

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

hungry

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

I

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

imagined

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

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

in

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

inviting

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

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

it

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

key

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

leaned

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

least

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

less

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

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

lock

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

Master

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

me

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

my

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

necessities

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

no

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

nothing

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

of

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

or

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

own

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

pain

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

place

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

rattled

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

reflections

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

restored

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

From this reading At the sound of approaching footsteps, my good-humour was restored.

Ronald

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

From this reading The key rattled in the lock, and Master Ronald entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned his back to it.

sit

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

society

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

sound

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

From this reading At the sound of approaching footsteps, my good-humour was restored.

sure

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

From this reading To be sure there was the floor, but nothing could be imagined less inviting.

the

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

them

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

there

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

these

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

thirsty

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

thoroughly

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

tired

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

to

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

treat

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

From this reading I was in great pain of my flayed hands, and had nothing to treat them with; I was hungry and thirsty, and had nothing to eat or to drink; I was thoroughly tired, and there was no place for me to sit.

was

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

with

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

From this reading I was half an hour at least in the society of these distressing bipeds, and alone with my own reflections and necessities.

Chapter 8 of St. Ives by Robert Louis Stevenson holds 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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.

What does chapter 8 of St. Ives contain?

Chapter 8 holds 150 sentences of St. Ives, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of St. Ives by Robert Louis Stevenson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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 8 of St. Ives?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 8 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading St. Ives

Common questions about reading St. Ives by Robert Louis Stevenson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of St. Ives?

Yes. All 5601 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #322 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of St. Ives is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #322, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does St. Ives take to read?

About 466 minutes of reading across 1121 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read St. Ives section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of St. Ives to begin.

  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 St. Ives

Words and structures a reader meets early in St. Ives, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Month
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. Ives; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Unlucky
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. Ives; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hands
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. Ives; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Enemy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. Ives; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.