Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Pierre and His People
Pierre and His People

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Pierre and His People is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Pierre and His People
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Ah, it was in the game.
It is good play to assist your partner," the half-breed replied sententiously.
Through all, the Indian had remained stoical.
But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:
"There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"
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.

Pierre and His People

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Pierre and His People is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Ah, it was in the game.
Line 2
It is good play to assist your partner," the half-breed replied sententiously.
Line 3
Through all, the Indian had remained stoical.
Line 4
But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:
Line 5
"There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

Learner Dictionary

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.

aloft adverb US /əˈlɔːft/

at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship

From this reading “"There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"”

assist verb US /əˈsɪst/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading “It is good play to assist your partner," the half-breed replied sententiously.”

cares noun US /kerz/

plural of “care” — the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading “"There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"”

cherub noun US /ˈtʃerəb/

a sweet innocent baby

From this reading “"There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"”

partner noun US /ˈpɑːrtnər/

a person's partner in marriage

From this reading “It is good play to assist your partner," the half-breed replied sententiously.”

sits verb US /sɪts/

third-person singular of “sit” — be seated

From this reading “"There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"”

swore verb US /swɔːr/

inflected form of “swear” — utter obscenities or profanities

From this reading “But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:”

sworn adjective US /swɔːrn/

bound by or as if by an oath

From this reading “But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading "There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

Ah

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

From this reading "Ah, it was in the game.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 Through all, the Indian had remained stoical.

aloftadverbUS /əˈlɔːft/

at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship

From this reading "There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

assistverbUS /əˈsɪst/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading It is good play to assist your partner," the half-breed replied sententiously.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

caresnounUS /kerz/

plural of “care” — the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading "There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

cherubnounUS /ˈtʃerəb/

a sweet innocent baby

From this reading "There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

gamenounUS /ɡeɪm/

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading "Ah, it was in the game.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading It is good play to assist your partner," the half-breed replied sententiously.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Through all, the Indian had remained stoical.

half-breednoun

an offensive term for an offspring of parents of different racial group (especially of Caucasian and American Indian ancestry)

From this reading It is good play to assist your partner," the half-breed replied sententiously.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Ah, it was in the game.

IndianadjectiveUS /ˈɪndiən/

of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures

From this reading Through all, the Indian had remained stoical.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is good play to assist your partner," the half-breed replied sententiously.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Ah, it was in the game.

JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading "There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

lipsnounUS /lɪps/

plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading "There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

McGann

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

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

partnernounUS /ˈpɑːrtnər/

a person's partner in marriage

From this reading It is good play to assist your partner," the half-breed replied sententiously.

playverbUS /pleɪ/

participate in games or sport

From this reading It is good play to assist your partner," the half-breed replied sententiously.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading "There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

racenounUS /reɪs/

any competition

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

remainedverbUS /rɪˈmeɪnd/

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading Through all, the Indian had remained stoical.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading It is good play to assist your partner," the half-breed replied sententiously.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

sententiouslyadverb

in a pithy sententious manner

From this reading It is good play to assist your partner," the half-breed replied sententiously.

sitsverbUS /sɪts/

third-person singular of “sit” — be seated

From this reading "There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

soulnounUS /soʊl/

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

From this reading "There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

stoicaladjective

seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive

From this reading Through all, the Indian had remained stoical.

swate

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

From this reading "There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

sworeverbUS /swɔːr/

inflected form of “swear” — utter obscenities or profanities

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

swornadjectiveUS /swɔːrn/

bound by or as if by an oath

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Ah, it was in the game.

There's

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

From this reading "There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

ThroughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Through all, the Indian had remained stoical.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It is good play to assist your partner," the half-breed replied sententiously.

Trafford

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

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading "There's a swate little cherub that sits up aloft, Who cares for the soul of poor Jack!"

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "Ah, it was in the game.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading But McGann, who swore by Trafford--as he had once sworn by another of the Trafford race--had his heart on his lips, and said:

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading It is good play to assist your partner," the half-breed replied sententiously.

Chapter 9 of Pierre and His People by Gilbert Parker holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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.

What does chapter 9 of Pierre and His People contain?

Chapter 9 holds 410 sentences of Pierre and His People, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Pierre and His People by Gilbert Parker exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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.

How do I study chapter 9 of Pierre and His People?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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.

Can chapter 9 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Pierre and His People

Common questions about reading Pierre and His People by Gilbert Parker on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Pierre and His People?

Yes. All 5631 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6179 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Pierre and His People is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6179, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Pierre and His People take to read?

About 469 minutes of reading across 1127 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Pierre and His People section by section

How to work through Pierre and His People section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 14 chapters of Pierre and His People to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Pierre and His People

Words and structures a reader meets early in Pierre and His People, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Volume
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pierre and His People; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Subscription
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pierre and His People; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pierre and His People; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Special
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Pierre and His People; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.