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The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Dark Forest is here in full — 442 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Dark Forest
Context Illustration Reading 1/88 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
NIKITIN But this is not my story.
If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.
We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.
I now then retire.
What happened to myself during the succeeding months is of no matter.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Dark Forest

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Dark Forest is here in full — 442 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/88 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
NIKITIN But this is not my story.
Line 2
If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.
Line 3
We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.
Line 4
I now then retire.
/aɪ naʊ ðen rɪˈtaɪr/
Line 5
What happened to myself during the succeeding months is of no matter.
/wʌt ˈhæpənd tuː ˌmaɪˈself ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə səkˈsiːdɪŋ mʌnθs ɪz ʌv noʊ ˈmætər/

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.

apprentices noun US /əˈprentəsɪz/

plural of “apprentice” — works for an expert to learn a trade

From this reading “We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.”

battle noun US /ˈbætəl/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading “We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.”

degree noun US /dɪˈɡriː/

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading “If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.”

hitherto adverb US /ˈhɪðɜːrˈtuː/

used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time

From this reading “If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.”

impressions noun US /ˌɪmˈpreʃənz/

plural of “impression” — a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading “If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.”

retire verb US /rɪˈtaɪr/

go into retirement; stop performing one's work or withdraw from one's position

From this reading “I now then retire.”

succeeding adjective US /səkˈsiːdɪŋ/

coming after or following

From this reading “What happened to myself during the succeeding months is of no matter.”

vision noun US /ˈvɪʒən/

a vivid mental image

From this reading “We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

Andrey

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

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

apprenticesnounUS /əˈprentəsɪz/

plural of “apprentice” — works for an expert to learn a trade

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

battlenounUS /ˈbætəl/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading NIKITIN But this is not my story.

chiefnounUS /tʃiːf/

a person who is in charge

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

degreenounUS /dɪˈɡriː/

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading What happened to myself during the succeeding months is of no matter.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

hillnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

hithertoadverbUS /ˈhɪðɜːrˈtuː/

used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

impressionsnounUS /ˌɪmˈpreʃənz/

plural of “impression” — a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading NIKITIN But this is not my story.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

Ivanovna

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

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

Marie

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

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading What happened to myself during the succeeding months is of no matter.

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading What happened to myself during the succeeding months is of no matter.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading NIKITIN But this is not my story.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading What happened to myself during the succeeding months is of no matter.

NIKITIN

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

From this reading NIKITIN But this is not my story.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading NIKITIN But this is not my story.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading I now then retire.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

retireverbUS /rɪˈtaɪr/

go into retirement; stop performing one's work or withdraw from one's position

From this reading I now then retire.

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

SnounUS /es/

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

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading NIKITIN But this is not my story.

succeedingadjectiveUS /səkˈsiːdɪŋ/

coming after or following

From this reading What happened to myself during the succeeding months is of no matter.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading I now then retire.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading NIKITIN But this is not my story.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

Trenchard

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

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

Vassilievitch

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

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

visionnounUS /ˈvɪʒən/

a vivid mental image

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading We had all been brought to the same point--that last vision from the hill of the battle of S---- and from that day we were no longer apprentices.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What happened to myself during the succeeding months is of no matter.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading If I have hitherto taken the chief place it is because, in some degree, the impressions of Trenchard, Marie Ivanovna, Andrey Vassilievitch must, during those first days, have run with my own.

Chapter 4 of The Dark Forest by Hugh Walpole holds 442 sentences, grouped into 89 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 4 of The Dark Forest contain?

Chapter 4 holds 442 sentences of The Dark Forest, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Dark Forest by Hugh Walpole exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 442 sentences, grouped into 89 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 4 of The Dark Forest?

Work through the 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 89 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Dark Forest

Common questions about reading The Dark Forest by Hugh Walpole on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Dark Forest?

Yes. All 6009 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19614 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Dark Forest is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #19614, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Dark Forest take to read?

About 500 minutes of reading across 1202 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Dark Forest section by section

How to work through The Dark Forest section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Dark Forest 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 Dark Forest

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Dark Forest, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dark Forest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Figure
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dark Forest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Catch
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dark Forest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Evening
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dark Forest; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.