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The Mayor of Casterbridge
The Mayor of Casterbridge

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of The Mayor of Casterbridge is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Mayor of Casterbridge
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.
“’Tis too good for uswe can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.
I fear it is, too,” said Elizabeth.
But we must be respectable.”
We must pay our way even before we must be respectable,” replied her mother.
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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 Mayor of Casterbridge

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of The Mayor of Casterbridge is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.
Line 2
“’Tis too good for uswe can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.
Line 3
I fear it is, too,” said Elizabeth.
Line 4
But we must be respectable.”
Line 5
We must pay our way even before we must be respectable,” replied her mother.

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 ““’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.”

All words in this reading · 68

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 The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

about

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

and

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

antique

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

apartment

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

as

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

awkwardness

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

be

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

before

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

From this reading “We must pay our way even before we must be respectable,” replied her mother.

But

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

From this reading “But we must be respectable.”

by

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

can't

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

clean

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

compensate

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

crookedness

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

dazzling

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

effect

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

elder

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

Elizabeth

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

From this reading “I fear it is, too,” said Elizabeth.

even

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

From this reading “We must pay our way even before we must be respectable,” replied her mother.

everywhere

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

fear

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

From this reading “I fear it is, too,” said Elizabeth.

floors

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

for

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

good

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

had

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

her

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

From this reading “We must pay our way even before we must be respectable,” replied her mother.

I

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

From this reading “I fear it is, too,” said Elizabeth.

inn

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

is

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

From this reading “I fear it is, too,” said Elizabeth.

it

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

left

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

linen

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

looking

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

meet

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

misgiving

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

mother

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

From this reading “We must pay our way even before we must be respectable,” replied her mother.

must

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

From this reading “But we must be respectable.”

obscurity

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

of

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

our

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

From this reading “We must pay our way even before we must be respectable,” replied her mother.

passages

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

pay

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

From this reading “We must pay our way even before we must be respectable,” replied her mother.

principle

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

quantities

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

replied

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

From this reading “We must pay our way even before we must be respectable,” replied her mother.

respectable

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

From this reading “But we must be respectable.”

round

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

said

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

seemed

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

soon

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

spread

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

The

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

they

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

this

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

Tis

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

to

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

too

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

travellers

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

upon

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

us

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

way

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

From this reading “We must pay our way even before we must be respectable,” replied her mother.

we

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

were

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

windows

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

From this reading The principle of the inn seemed to be to compensate for the antique awkwardness, crookedness, and obscurity of the passages, floors, and windows, by quantities of clean linen spread about everywhere, and this had a dazzling effect upon the travellers.

with

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

woman

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

From this reading “’Tis too good for us—we can’t meet it!” said the elder woman, looking round the apartment with misgiving as soon as they were left alone.

Chapter 5 of The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy holds 176 sentences, grouped into 36 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 5 of The Mayor of Casterbridge contain?

Chapter 5 holds 176 sentences of The Mayor of Casterbridge, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 176 sentences, grouped into 36 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 5 of The Mayor of Casterbridge?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Mayor of Casterbridge

Common questions about reading The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Mayor of Casterbridge?

Yes. All 6288 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #143 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Mayor of Casterbridge is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #143, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mayor of Casterbridge take to read?

About 524 minutes of reading across 1258 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Mayor of Casterbridge section by section

How to work through The Mayor of Casterbridge section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Mayor of Casterbridge 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 Mayor of Casterbridge

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Mayor of Casterbridge, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Death
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mayor of Casterbridge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Character
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mayor of Casterbridge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Evening
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mayor of Casterbridge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Summer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mayor of Casterbridge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.