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The Mayor of Casterbridge
The Mayor of Casterbridge

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Mayor of Casterbridge is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Mayor of Casterbridge
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
O Michael! because of himwhat other reason could there be?
I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our livesfoolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.
I meet you now only as his widowI consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.
Had he not died I should never have comenever!
Of that you may be sure.”
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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 VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Mayor of Casterbridge is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
O Michael! because of himwhat other reason could there be?
Line 2
I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our livesfoolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.
Line 3
I meet you now only as his widowI consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.
Line 4
Had he not died I should never have comenever!
Line 5
Of that you may be sure.”

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.

and

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

as

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

From this reading I meet you now only as his widow—I consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.

bargain

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

be

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

From this reading “O Michael! because of him—what other reason could there be?

because

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

From this reading “O Michael! because of him—what other reason could there be?

believed

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

binding

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

claim

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

From this reading I meet you now only as his widow—I consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.

come

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

From this reading Had he not died I should never have come—never!

consider

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

From this reading I meet you now only as his widow—I consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.

could

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

From this reading “O Michael! because of him—what other reason could there be?

dared

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

desert

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

died

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

From this reading Had he not died I should never have come—never!

end

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

even

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

faith

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

faithfulness

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

foolishly

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

for

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

good

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

had

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

have

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

From this reading I meet you now only as his widow—I consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.

he

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

him

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

From this reading “O Michael! because of him—what other reason could there be?

his

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

From this reading I meet you now only as his widow—I consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.

honour

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

I

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

in

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

lives

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

may

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

From this reading Of that you may be sure.”

me

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

meet

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

From this reading I meet you now only as his widow—I consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.

Michael

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

From this reading “O Michael! because of him—what other reason could there be?

much

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

myself

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

From this reading I meet you now only as his widow—I consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.

never

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

From this reading Had he not died I should never have come—never!

no

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

From this reading I meet you now only as his widow—I consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.

not

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

now

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

From this reading I meet you now only as his widow—I consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.

O

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

From this reading “O Michael! because of him—what other reason could there be?

of

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

From this reading “O Michael! because of him—what other reason could there be?

one

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

only

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

From this reading I meet you now only as his widow—I consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.

other

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

From this reading “O Michael! because of him—what other reason could there be?

our

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

owed

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

paid

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

reason

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

From this reading “O Michael! because of him—what other reason could there be?

should

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

From this reading Had he not died I should never have come—never!

so

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

solemn

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

something

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

sure

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

From this reading Of that you may be sure.”

that

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

the

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

there

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

From this reading “O Michael! because of him—what other reason could there be?

thought

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

to

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

upon

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

From this reading I meet you now only as his widow—I consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.

was

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

what

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

From this reading “O Michael! because of him—what other reason could there be?

when

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

From this reading I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain; I thought that even in honour I dared not desert him when he had paid so much for me in good faith.

widow

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

From this reading I meet you now only as his widow—I consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.

you

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

From this reading I meet you now only as his widow—I consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you.

Chapter 8 of The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy holds 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 Mayor of Casterbridge contain?

Chapter 8 holds 172 sentences of The Mayor of Casterbridge, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 Mayor of Casterbridge?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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 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.