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The Return of the Native
The Return of the Native

Chapter XXX · Chapter 30

Chapter 30 of The Return of the Native is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Return of the Native
Context Illustration Reading 1/43 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.
Now, he is what I call a lucky man.
What a fool you were, Eustacia!”
In what way?” she said, lifting her eyes in apparent calmness.
Why, in not sticking to him when you had him.”
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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 Return of the Native

Chapter XXX · Chapter 30

Chapter 30 of The Return of the Native is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.
Line 2
Now, he is what I call a lucky man.
Line 3
What a fool you were, Eustacia!”
Line 4
In what way?” she said, lifting her eyes in apparent calmness.
Line 5
Why, in not sticking to him when you had him.”

All words in this reading · 44

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 Now, he is what I call a lucky man.

apparent

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

From this reading “In what way?” she said, lifting her eyes in apparent calmness.

at

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

back

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

call

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

From this reading Now, he is what I call a lucky man.

calmness

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

From this reading “In what way?” she said, lifting her eyes in apparent calmness.

came

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

Charley

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

early

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

Eustacia

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

From this reading What a fool you were, Eustacia!”

eyes

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

From this reading “In what way?” she said, lifting her eyes in apparent calmness.

fool

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

From this reading What a fool you were, Eustacia!”

for

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

had

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

From this reading “Why, in not sticking to him when you had him.”

he

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

From this reading Now, he is what I call a lucky man.

her

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

From this reading “In what way?” she said, lifting her eyes in apparent calmness.

him

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

I

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

In

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

From this reading “In what way?” she said, lifting her eyes in apparent calmness.

is

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

From this reading Now, he is what I call a lucky man.

it

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

knew

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

known

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

lifting

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

From this reading “In what way?” she said, lifting her eyes in apparent calmness.

lucky

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

From this reading Now, he is what I call a lucky man.

man

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

From this reading Now, he is what I call a lucky man.

morning

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

not

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

From this reading “Why, in not sticking to him when you had him.”

Now

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

From this reading Now, he is what I call a lucky man.

o'clock

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

said

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

From this reading “In what way?” she said, lifting her eyes in apparent calmness.

she

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

From this reading “In what way?” she said, lifting her eyes in apparent calmness.

sticking

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

From this reading “Why, in not sticking to him when you had him.”

ten

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

this

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

to

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

was

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

way

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

From this reading “In what way?” she said, lifting her eyes in apparent calmness.

Well

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

were

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

From this reading What a fool you were, Eustacia!”

what

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

From this reading Now, he is what I call a lucky man.

when

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

From this reading “Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o’clock, when Charley came back.

Why

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

From this reading “Why, in not sticking to him when you had him.”

you

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

From this reading What a fool you were, Eustacia!”

Chapter 30 of The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy holds 218 sentences, grouped into 44 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 30 of The Return of the Native contain?

Chapter 30 holds 218 sentences of The Return of the Native, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 30 of The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 218 sentences, grouped into 44 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 30 of The Return of the Native?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 30 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 30 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.