Chapter 9 of A Roman Singer is here in full — 291 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of A Roman Singer is here in full — 291 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He went to the light and spread out the handkerchief. It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner. The steel pen had torn the delicate fibres here and there. "They know you have been here. I am watched.
Chapter 9 of A Roman Singer is here in full — 291 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/58 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading “It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.”
plural of “fibre” — a slender and greatly elongated substance capable of being spun into yarn
From this reading “The steel pen had torn the delicate fibres here and there.”
a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose or as a costume accessory
From this reading “He went to the light and spread out the handkerchief.”
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading “The steel pen had torn the delicate fibres here and there.”
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading “The steel pen had torn the delicate fibres here and there.”
the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object
From this reading “It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.”
having edges that are jagged from injury
From this reading “The steel pen had torn the delicate fibres here and there.”
transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
From this reading “It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am watched.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He went to the light and spread out the handkerchief.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "They know you have been here.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
From this reading The steel pen had torn the delicate fibres here and there.
plural of “fibre” — a slender and greatly elongated substance capable of being spun into yarn
From this reading The steel pen had torn the delicate fibres here and there.
a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The steel pen had torn the delicate fibres here and there.
a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose or as a costume accessory
From this reading He went to the light and spread out the handkerchief.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "They know you have been here.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He went to the light and spread out the handkerchief.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The steel pen had torn the delicate fibres here and there.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I am watched.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "They know you have been here.
a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading He went to the light and spread out the handkerchief.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He went to the light and spread out the handkerchief.
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading The steel pen had torn the delicate fibres here and there.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading He went to the light and spread out the handkerchief.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading The steel pen had torn the delicate fibres here and there.
the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He went to the light and spread out the handkerchief.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The steel pen had torn the delicate fibres here and there.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "They know you have been here.
a special situation
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He went to the light and spread out the handkerchief.
having edges that are jagged from injury
From this reading The steel pen had torn the delicate fibres here and there.
transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading I am watched.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He went to the light and spread out the handkerchief.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was a small thing, of almost transparent stuff, with a plain "H.L." and a crown in the corner.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "They know you have been here.
Chapter 9 of A Roman Singer by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford holds 291 sentences, grouped into 59 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, 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.
Chapter 9 holds 291 sentences of A Roman Singer, unabridged, divided into 59 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of A Roman Singer by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 291 sentences, grouped into 59 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.
Work through the 59 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 59 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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.
Common questions about reading A Roman Singer by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5261 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12346 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12346, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 438 minutes of reading across 1053 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Roman Singer section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of A Roman Singer to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Roman Singer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
