Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Last Vendée
The Last Vendée

Chapter XXIX

Chapter 29 of The Last Vendée is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Last Vendée
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Oh, my God! how can you say it, Michel; are you mad?"
"I was for a moment, Mary--when I thought I could obey you.
But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.
Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."
"You forget, Michel," said Mary, "that my resolutions do not change as yours do.
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 Last Vendée

Chapter XXIX

Chapter 29 of The Last Vendée is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Oh, my God! how can you say it, Michel; are you mad?"
Line 2
"I was for a moment, Mary--when I thought I could obey you.
Line 3
But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.
/bʌt ˈæbsəns ɡriːf dɪˈsper hæv meɪd əˈnʌðər mæn ʌv miː/
Line 4
Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."
Line 5
"You forget, Michel," said Mary, "that my resolutions do not change as yours do.

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.

absence noun US /ˈæbsəns/

the state of being absent

From this reading “But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.”

despair noun US /dɪˈsper/

a state in which all hope is lost or absent

From this reading “But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.”

grief noun US /ɡriːf/

intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)

From this reading “But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.”

mad adjective US /mæd/

roused to anger

From this reading “"Oh, my God! how can you say it, Michel; are you mad?"”

obey verb US /oʊˈbeɪ/

be obedient to

From this reading “"I was for a moment, Mary--when I thought I could obey you.”

reed noun US /riːd/

tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites

From this reading “Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."”

resolutions noun US /ˌrezəˈluːʃənz/

plural of “resolution” — a formal expression by a meeting; agreed to by a vote

From this reading “"You forget, Michel," said Mary, "that my resolutions do not change as yours do.”

weak adjective US /wiːk/

wanting in physical strength

From this reading “Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

for a moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

In this reading “"I was for a moment, Mary--when I thought I could obey you.”

own heart verb + noun

In this reading “Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."”

All words in this reading · 66

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 "I was for a moment, Mary--when I thought I could obey you.

absencenounUS /ˈæbsəns/

the state of being absent

From this reading But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading "Oh, my God! how can you say it, Michel; are you mad?"

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "You forget, Michel," said Mary, "that my resolutions do not change as yours do.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

bentnounUS /bent/

a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

breathnounUS /breθ/

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading "Oh, my God! how can you say it, Michel; are you mad?"

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading "You forget, Michel," said Mary, "that my resolutions do not change as yours do.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading "I was for a moment, Mary--when I thought I could obey you.

CountverbUS /kaʊnt/

determine the number or amount of

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

despairnounUS /dɪˈsper/

a state in which all hope is lost or absent

From this reading But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "I was for a moment, Mary--when I thought I could obey you.

forgetverbUS /fərˈɡet/

dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading "You forget, Michel," said Mary, "that my resolutions do not change as yours do.

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading "Oh, my God! how can you say it, Michel; are you mad?"

griefnounUS /ɡriːf/

intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)

From this reading But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

how

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

From this reading "Oh, my God! how can you say it, Michel; are you mad?"

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I was for a moment, Mary--when I thought I could obey you.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Oh, my God! how can you say it, Michel; are you mad?"

lieverbUS /laɪ/

be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

madadjectiveUS /mæd/

roused to anger

From this reading "Oh, my God! how can you say it, Michel; are you mad?"

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.

MarynounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading "I was for a moment, Mary--when I thought I could obey you.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.

Michel

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

From this reading "Oh, my God! how can you say it, Michel; are you mad?"

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading "I was for a moment, Mary--when I thought I could obey you.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Oh, my God! how can you say it, Michel; are you mad?"

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "You forget, Michel," said Mary, "that my resolutions do not change as yours do.

obeyverbUS /oʊˈbeɪ/

be obedient to

From this reading "I was for a moment, Mary--when I thought I could obey you.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading But absence, grief, despair, have made another man of me.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading "Oh, my God! how can you say it, Michel; are you mad?"

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

reednounUS /riːd/

tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

resolutionsnounUS /ˌrezəˈluːʃənz/

plural of “resolution” — a formal expression by a meeting; agreed to by a vote

From this reading "You forget, Michel," said Mary, "that my resolutions do not change as yours do.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "You forget, Michel," said Mary, "that my resolutions do not change as yours do.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading "Oh, my God! how can you say it, Michel; are you mad?"

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "You forget, Michel," said Mary, "that my resolutions do not change as yours do.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading "I was for a moment, Mary--when I thought I could obey you.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "I was for a moment, Mary--when I thought I could obey you.

weakadjectiveUS /wiːk/

wanting in physical strength

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

whateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "I was for a moment, Mary--when I thought I could obey you.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Oh, my God! how can you say it, Michel; are you mad?"

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Count no longer on the poor, weak reed which bent at your breath; whatever you may say or do, you shall be mine, Mary!--because I love you, because you love me, because I will no longer lie to God or to my own heart."

yourspronounUS /jʊrz/

the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to

From this reading "You forget, Michel," said Mary, "that my resolutions do not change as yours do.

Chapter 29 of The Last Vendée by Alexandre Dumas holds 396 sentences, grouped into 80 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 29 of The Last Vendée contain?

Chapter 29 holds 396 sentences of The Last Vendée, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 29 of The Last Vendée by Alexandre Dumas exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 396 sentences, grouped into 80 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 29 of The Last Vendée?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 29 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 29 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 Last Vendée

Common questions about reading The Last Vendée by Alexandre Dumas on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Last Vendée?

Yes. All 14173 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49784 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Last Vendée is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #49784, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Last Vendée take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2835 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Last Vendée section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 35 chapters of The Last Vendée 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 Last Vendée

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

Diphthong
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last Vendée; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Represented
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last Vendée; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Appears
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last Vendée; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jerusalem
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last Vendée; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.