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The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Count of Monte Cristo is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Cover illustration for The Count of Monte Cristo
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.
Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.
Whence it came no one knew, and it spoke an unknown tongue.
One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.
The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Count of Monte Cristo is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.
Line 2
Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.
Line 3
Whence it came no one knew, and it spoke an unknown tongue.
Line 4
One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.
Line 5
The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

All words in this reading · 87

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.

a

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

about

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

afterwards

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

ago

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

an

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

From this reading Whence it came no one knew, and it spoke an unknown tongue.

and

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

around

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

as

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

ashore

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

bare

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

barren

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

begged

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

Beyond

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

boats

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

brought

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

came

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

From this reading Whence it came no one knew, and it spoke an unknown tongue.

Catalans

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

chiefs

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

colony

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

commune

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

day

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

drank

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

fifteen

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

friends

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

from

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

give

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

granted

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

gypsies

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

had

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

hundred

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

is

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

it

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

its

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

knew

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

From this reading Whence it came no one knew, and it spoke an unknown tongue.

land

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

like

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

listening

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

Long

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

looking

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

Marseilles

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

months

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

mysterious

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

no

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

From this reading Whence it came no one knew, and it spoke an unknown tongue.

of

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

old

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

on

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

one

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

From this reading Whence it came no one knew, and it spoke an unknown tongue.

or

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

paces

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

promontory

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

Provençal

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

quitted

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

request

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

run

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

sailors

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

sat

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

sea

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

settled

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

small

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

Spain

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

spoke

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

From this reading Whence it came no one knew, and it spoke an unknown tongue.

spot

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

sprang

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

the

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

their

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

them

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

these

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

they

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

this

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

three

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

to

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

tongue

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

twelve

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

two

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

understood

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

unknown

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

From this reading Whence it came no one knew, and it spoke an unknown tongue.

up

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

vessels

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

From this reading The request was granted; and three months afterwards, around the twelve or fifteen small vessels which had brought these gypsies of the sea, a small village sprang up.

village

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

wall

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

was

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

weather-worn

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

Whence

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

From this reading Whence it came no one knew, and it spoke an unknown tongue.

where

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

which

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

From this reading Long ago this mysterious colony quitted Spain, and settled on the tongue of land on which it is to this day.

who

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

From this reading One of its chiefs, who understood Provençal, begged the commune of Marseilles to give them this bare and barren promontory, where, like the sailors of old, they had run their boats ashore.

wine

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

From this reading Beyond a bare, weather-worn wall, about a hundred paces from the spot where the two friends sat looking and listening as they drank their wine, was the village of the Catalans.

Chapter Quiz

Use these questions to verify literal comprehension before continuing to the next chapter.

What is the central narrative or theme conveyed in this section of Chapter XIV: The Treasure of Monte Cristo?

Which core linguistic virtue or character attribute is emphasized in this passage?

According to the text: "Edmond Dantes landed alone on the desolate, craggy island of Monte Cristo, trembling with ...", what tone does the author establish?

Shadowing Practice

Repeat the selected source lines aloud to practice rhythm, stress, and clear US English pronunciation.

Narrator: Edmond Dantes landed alone on the desolate, craggy island of Monte Cristo, trembling with an emotion that almost deprived him of the power of breathin
Narrator: With trembling hands, Edmond forced open the lock with his chisel.

Chapter 3 of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas holds 189 sentences, grouped into 38 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 3 of The Count of Monte Cristo contain?

Chapter 3 holds 189 sentences of The Count of Monte Cristo, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 189 sentences, grouped into 38 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 3 of The Count of Monte Cristo?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 The Count of Monte Cristo

Common questions about reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Count of Monte Cristo?

Yes. All 24157 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1184 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Count of Monte Cristo is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1184, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Count of Monte Cristo take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 4832 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Count of Monte Cristo section by section

How to work through The Count of Monte Cristo section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 119 chapters of The Count of Monte Cristo 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 The Count of Monte Cristo

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Count of Monte Cristo, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

February
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Count of Monte Cristo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Look-out
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Count of Monte Cristo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Notre-dame
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Count of Monte Cristo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Garde
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Count of Monte Cristo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.