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The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete
The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete is here in full — 267 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete
Context Illustration Reading 1/53 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
May 1st.
These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.
But now it wants only two minutes of noon.
In two minutes, if Lampron is not late-- Rat-a-tat-tat!
"Come in."
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.

The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete is here in full — 267 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/53 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
May 1st.
Line 2
These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.
Line 3
But now it wants only two minutes of noon.
/bʌt naʊ ɪt wɑːnts ˈoʊnli tuː ˈmɪnəts ʌv nuːn/
Line 4
In two minutes, if Lampron is not late-- Rat-a-tat-tat!
Line 5
"Come in."
/kʌm ɪn/

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.

days noun US /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading “These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.”

end noun US /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading “These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.”

especially adverb US /əˈspeʃli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading “These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.”

four noun US /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading “These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.”

late adjective US /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading “In two minutes, if Lampron is not late-- Rat-a-tat-tat!”

minutes noun US /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading “But now it wants only two minutes of noon.”

noon noun US /nuːn/

the middle of the day

From this reading “But now it wants only two minutes of noon.”

wants noun US /wɑːnts/

plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty

From this reading “But now it wants only two minutes of noon.”

All words in this reading · 32

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.

1st

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

From this reading May 1st.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But now it wants only two minutes of noon.

ComeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "Come in."

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.

especiallyadverbUS /əˈspeʃli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In two minutes, if Lampron is not late-- Rat-a-tat-tat!

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading In two minutes, if Lampron is not late-- Rat-a-tat-tat!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But now it wants only two minutes of noon.

Lampron

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

From this reading In two minutes, if Lampron is not late-- Rat-a-tat-tat!

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.

lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading In two minutes, if Lampron is not late-- Rat-a-tat-tat!

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading May 1st.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading But now it wants only two minutes of noon.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.

noonnounUS /nuːn/

the middle of the day

From this reading But now it wants only two minutes of noon.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading In two minutes, if Lampron is not late-- Rat-a-tat-tat!

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading But now it wants only two minutes of noon.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading But now it wants only two minutes of noon.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading But now it wants only two minutes of noon.

Rat-a-tat-tatnoun

a series of short sharp taps (as made by strokes on a drum or knocks on a door)

From this reading In two minutes, if Lampron is not late-- Rat-a-tat-tat!

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.

ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading But now it wants only two minutes of noon.

wantsnounUS /wɑːnts/

plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty

From this reading But now it wants only two minutes of noon.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading These four days have seemed as if they never would end--especially the last.

Chapter 8 of The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete by René Bazin holds 267 sentences, grouped into 54 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 The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete contain?

Chapter 8 holds 267 sentences of The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete, unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete by René Bazin exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 267 sentences, grouped into 54 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 The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete?

Work through the 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 54 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 The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete

Common questions about reading The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete by René Bazin on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete?

Yes. All 4465 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3975 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3975, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete take to read?

About 372 minutes of reading across 893 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete section by section

How to work through The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete 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 Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Record
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Twenty-three
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ink-Stain (Tache d'encre) — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.