Chapter 6 of Black Nick, the hermit of the hills is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of Black Nick, the hermit of the hills is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A DEMONIACAL VISIT. Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely. “Why, this is only a commission,” he growled. “What do I care for that? I want your dispatches, Captain Schuyler, since that seems to be your name.”
Chapter 6 of Black Nick, the hermit of the hills is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/20 · 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.
a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table
From this reading “Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.”
a special group delegated to consider some matter
From this reading ““Why, this is only a commission,” he growled.”
plural of “dispatch” — an official report (usually sent in haste)
From this reading “I want your dispatches, Captain Schuyler, since that seems to be your name.””
past form of “examine” — consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading “Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.”
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading “Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.”
past form of “growl” — to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds
From this reading ““Why, this is only a commission,” he growled.”
A stiff, flat, thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal, used for writing.
From this reading “Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.”
a fervent and even militant proponent of something
From this reading “Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
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 A DEMONIACAL VISIT.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading “What do I care for that?
in a close relation or position in time or space
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
a special group delegated to consider some matter
From this reading “Why, this is only a commission,” he growled.
of, pertaining to, or like a demon or possession by a demon
From this reading A DEMONIACAL VISIT.
plural of “dispatch” — an official report (usually sent in haste)
From this reading I want your dispatches, Captain Schuyler, since that seems to be your name.”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “What do I care for that?
past form of “examine” — consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
past form of “growl” — to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds
From this reading “Why, this is only a commission,” he growled.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Why, this is only a commission,” he growled.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “What do I care for that?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Why, this is only a commission,” he growled.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
and nothing more
From this reading “Why, this is only a commission,” he growled.
A stiff, flat, thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal, used for writing.
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
a fervent and even militant proponent of something
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I want your dispatches, Captain Schuyler, since that seems to be your name.”
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading I want your dispatches, Captain Schuyler, since that seems to be your name.”
from a time in the past until now
From this reading I want your dispatches, Captain Schuyler, since that seems to be your name.”
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “What do I care for that?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Why, this is only a commission,” he growled.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading A DEMONIACAL VISIT.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading I want your dispatches, Captain Schuyler, since that seems to be your name.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What do I care for that?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Captain Butler, for such was the name by which the partisan seemed to be known, took the parchment extended by the prisoner, and examined it closely.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why, this is only a commission,” he growled.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I want your dispatches, Captain Schuyler, since that seems to be your name.”
Chapter 6 of Black Nick, the hermit of the hills by Frederick Whittaker holds 102 sentences, grouped into 21 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 6 holds 102 sentences of Black Nick, the hermit of the hills, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of Black Nick, the hermit of the hills by Frederick Whittaker exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 102 sentences, grouped into 21 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 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 21 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 6 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.
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Yes. All 1671 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #69323 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #69323, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 139 minutes of reading across 335 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Black Nick, the hermit of the hills section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of Black Nick, the hermit of the hills 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 Black Nick, the hermit of the hills, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
