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

Chapter XII

Cover illustration for Doctor Pascal
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:
“Master, you are too kind-hearted not to keep me.”
But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:
“No, no! don’t talk of my kindness.
If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!
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.

Doctor Pascal

Chapter XII

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

Line 1
Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:
Line 2
“Master, you are too kind-hearted not to keep me.”
Line 3
But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:
Line 4
“No, no! don’t talk of my kindness.
Line 5
If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Answered noun US /ˈanswered/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!”

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!”

Excited adjective US /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/

very enthusiastic or eager

From this reading “But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:”

Fool noun US /fool/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!”

Here noun US /here/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!”

Poor noun US /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!”

Sometimes noun US /sometimes/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:”

Without preposition US /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading “If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:”

All words in this reading · 72

Every word is available to listen to. 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 Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:

affectionate

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

From this reading Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:

ago

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:

answerednounUS /ˈanswered/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:

any

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading “Master, you are too kind-hearted not to keep me.”

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

bright

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

brother

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:

companion

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

despair

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

From this reading But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:

despised

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

don't

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

From this reading “No, no! don’t talk of my kindness.

easy

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/

very enthusiastic or eager

From this reading But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:

foolnounUS /fool/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

future

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

gloomy

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

From this reading But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:

grew

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

From this reading But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:

herenounUS /here/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:

honorable

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

instead

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

jestingly

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

From this reading Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:

keep

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

From this reading “Master, you are too kind-hearted not to keep me.”

kind

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

kind-hearted

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

From this reading “Master, you are too kind-hearted not to keep me.”

kindness

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

From this reading “No, no! don’t talk of my kindness.

leading

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

like

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

malice

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

From this reading Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:

Master

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

From this reading “Master, you are too kind-hearted not to keep me.”

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading “Master, you are too kind-hearted not to keep me.”

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “No, no! don’t talk of my kindness.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading “No, no! don’t talk of my kindness.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “Master, you are too kind-hearted not to keep me.”

obstinately

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:

old

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

poornounUS /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

prospect

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

really

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

remaining

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

sad

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

say

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

From this reading Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:

Sometimes

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

From this reading Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:

talk

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

From this reading “No, no! don’t talk of my kindness.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Master, you are too kind-hearted not to keep me.”

too

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

From this reading “Master, you are too kind-hearted not to keep me.”

touch

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

From this reading Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:

tranquil

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

vexed

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

From this reading But this vexed him; he grew excited, and with gloomy despair answered:

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Sometimes she would say jestingly, with a touch of affectionate malice:

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Master, you are too kind-hearted not to keep me.”

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading If I were really kind you would have been long ago with your brother, leading an easy and honorable life, with a bright and tranquil future before you, instead of obstinately remaining here, despised, poor, and without any prospect, to be the sad companion of an old fool like me!