Chapter IX · Chapter 9

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

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

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

Norwegian mathematician (1802-1829)

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

Having no one else present.

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

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

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

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

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

(baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball team

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

take exception to

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading The man's sudden revelation of knowledge had knocked all the confidence out of me.

perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment

From this reading Everything in me was confused.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

an ugly evil-looking old woman

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

placed crosswise

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

plural of “end” — either extremity of something that has length

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

all things; all of a situation

From this reading Everything in me was confused.

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

light informal conversation for social occasions

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

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

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

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

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

an opening into or through something

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

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

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading The man's sudden revelation of knowledge had knocked all the confidence out of me.

evidencing the possession of inside information

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

From this reading The man's sudden revelation of knowledge had knocked all the confidence out of me.

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The man's sudden revelation of knowledge had knocked all the confidence out of me.

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

From this reading The man's sudden revelation of knowledge had knocked all the confidence out of me.

the force of workers available

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

an uneasy psychological state

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

the likelihood of a thing occurring rather than not occurring

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

cause to move by pulling

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

in deplorable condition

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

the speech act of making something evident

From this reading The man's sudden revelation of knowledge had knocked all the confidence out of me.

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

in an aggressive manner

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

do one's shopping

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

requiring a standing position

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading The man's sudden revelation of knowledge had knocked all the confidence out of me.

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

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

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

in or at that place or location

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

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

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

a heavy dull sound (as made by impact of heavy objects)

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

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

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

the commercial exchange (buying and selling on domestic or international markets) of goods and services

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

(of persons) worthy of trust or confidence

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

without forethought or plan; inadvertently

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

a collection containing a variety of sorts of things

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

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

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

someone who sees an event and reports what happened

From this reading THE OTHER WITNESS It was with a thumping heart and nerves all a-tingle that I followed Abel Crone out of his front shop into a sort of office that he had at the back of it--a little, dirty hole of a place, in which there was a ramshackle table, a chair or two, a stand-up desk, a cupboard, and a variety of odds and ends that he had picked up in his trade.

the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception

From this reading And he had let this challenge out on me so sharply, catching me unawares that I was alone with him, and, as it were, at his mercy, before I could pull my wits together.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.

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

From this reading It had never crossed my mind that any living soul had a notion of my secret--for secret, of course, it was, and one that I would not have trusted to Crone, of all men in the world, knowing him as I did to be such a one for gossip.