text_original: * * * * * Four hours later they were in Merrick's office. The preliminary stage of his plan had failed, just as he had known it would. He was almost glad. It had been a vacillating expediency, an attempt to hide the facts and avoid the necessity of facing the challenge squarely.
text_transcription: FOUR HOURS LATER THEY WERE IN MERRICK'S OFFICE THE PRELIMINARY STAGE OF HIS PLAN HAD FAILED JUST AS HE HAD KNOWN IT WOULD HE WAS ALMOST GLAD IT HAD BEEN A VACILLATING EXPEDIENCY AN ATTEMPT TO HIDE THE FACTS AND AVOID THE NECESSITY OF FACING THE CHALLENGES SQUARELY
phonemes: ˈæstɚɹˌɪsk ˈæstɚɹˌɪsk ˈæstɚɹˌɪsk fˈɔːɹ ˈaʊɚz lˈeɪɾɚ ðeɪ wɜːɹ ɪn mˈɛɹɪks ˈɑːfɪs. ðə pɹɪlˈɪmɪnˌɛɹi stˈeɪdʒ ʌv hɪz plˈæn hæd fˈeɪld, dʒˈʌst æz hiː hæd nˈoʊn ɪt wˈʊd. hiː wʌz ˈɔːlmoʊst ɡlˈæd. ɪt hɐdbɪn ɐ vˈæsɪlˌeɪɾɪŋ ɛkspˈiːdiənsi, ɐn ɐtˈɛmpt tə hˈaɪd ðə fˈækts ænd ɐvˈɔɪd ðə nəsˈɛsɪɾi ʌv fˈeɪsɪŋ ðə tʃˈælɪndʒ skwˈɛɹli.