Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Return of the Native
The Return of the Native

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of The Return of the Native is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Return of the Native
Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Of course you will.”
And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”
I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.
You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”
You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.
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 Return of the Native

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of The Return of the Native is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Of course you will.”
/ʌv kɔːrs juː wɪl/
Line 2
And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”
/ənd jet aɪ dɪˈkler ðæt ənˈtɪl aɪ ɡɑːt hiːr təˈnaɪt aɪ ˌɪnˈtendɪd ˈæftər ðɪs wʌn ɡɪdˈbaɪ ˈnevər tuː miːt juː əˈɡen/
Line 3
I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.
Line 4
You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”
Line 5
You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.

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.

adhere verb US /ədˈhɪr/

be compatible or in accordance with

From this reading ““You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.”

declare verb US /dɪˈkler/

state emphatically and authoritatively

From this reading ““And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.””

good-bye noun US /ɡɪdˈbaɪ/

a farewell remark

From this reading ““And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.””

indignation noun US /ˌɪndɪɡˈneɪʃən/

a feeling of righteous anger

From this reading ““I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.”

natures noun US /ˈneɪtʃərz/

plural of “nature” — the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading ““You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.”

subterranean adjective US /ˌsʌb.təˈreɪ.ni.ən/

Existing, occurring, or done under the earth's surface.

From this reading ““I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.”

tempt verb US /tempt/

dispose or incline or entice to

From this reading ““You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.””

tonight adverb US /təˈnaɪt/

On the present night.

From this reading ““And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.””

All words in this reading · 67

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.

adhereverbUS /ədˈhɪr/

be compatible or in accordance with

From this reading “You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading “You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading “Of course you will.”

declareverbUS /dɪˈkler/

state emphatically and authoritatively

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

don't

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

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

easilyadverbUS /ˈiːzəli/

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading “You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

good-byenounUS /ɡɪdˈbaɪ/

a farewell remark

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.

heatnounUS /hiːt/

a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

indignationnounUS /ˌɪndɪɡˈneɪʃən/

a feeling of righteous anger

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

intendedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtendɪd/

resulting from one's intentions

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

listenverbUS /ˈlɪsən/

hear with intention

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading “You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

naturesnounUS /ˈneɪtʃərz/

plural of “nature” — the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading “You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Of course you will.”

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

Rainbarrow

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

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

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

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading “You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.

spreadverbUS /spred/

distribute or disperse widely

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

subterraneanadjectiveUS /ˌsʌb.təˈreɪ.ni.ən/

Existing, occurring, or done under the earth's surface.

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading “You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.

sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading “You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.

temptverbUS /tempt/

dispose or incline or entice to

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

thankverbUS /θæŋk/

express gratitude or show appreciation to

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading “You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

tonightadverbUS /təˈnaɪt/

On the present night.

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

turningnounUS /ˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading “I don’t thank you for that,” she said, turning away, while indignation spread through her like subterranean heat.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading “Of course you will.”

won't

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

From this reading “You may come again to Rainbarrow if you like, but you won’t see me; and you may call, but I shall not listen; and you may tempt me, but I won’t give myself to you any more.”

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading “You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading “And yet I declare that until I got here tonight I intended, after this one good-bye, never to meet you again.”

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Of course you will.”

yourspronounUS /jʊrz/

the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to

From this reading “You have said as much before, sweet; but such natures as yours don’t so easily adhere to their words.

Chapter 7 of The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy holds 224 sentences, grouped into 45 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 7 of The Return of the Native contain?

Chapter 7 holds 224 sentences of The Return of the Native, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 224 sentences, grouped into 45 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 7 of The Return of the Native?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Return of the Native

Common questions about reading The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Return of the Native?

Yes. All 8619 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #122 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Return of the Native is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #122, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Return of the Native take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1724 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Return of the Native section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Return of the Native 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 Return of the Native

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Return of the Native, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Preface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Return of the Native; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Return of the Native; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Three
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Return of the Native; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Women
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Return of the Native; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.