Chapter 9 of Sir Nigel is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Sir Nigel is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“And fifty,” whispered Aylward. “And fifty,” said Nigel. “By Saint John of Beverley!” cried the merchant. “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways. Will you indeed take no less than a hundred and fifty?
Chapter 9 of Sir Nigel is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/34 · 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.
an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each
From this reading ““I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.”
an old word meaning “to this place”
From this reading ““I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.”
plural of “jew” — a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties
From this reading ““I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.”
A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.
From this reading ““By Saint John of Beverley!” cried the merchant.”
the local environment
From this reading ““I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.”
a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization
From this reading ““By Saint John of Beverley!” cried the merchant.”
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
From this reading ““I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.”
(Judaism) the place of worship for a Jewish congregation
From this reading ““I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.”
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 “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
(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 “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “And fifty,” whispered Aylward.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And fifty,” whispered Aylward.
an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “By Saint John of Beverley!” cried the merchant.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “By Saint John of Beverley!” cried the merchant.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “By Saint John of Beverley!” cried the merchant.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading “And fifty,” whispered Aylward.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
an old word meaning “to this place”
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
ten 10s
From this reading Will you indeed take no less than a hundred and fifty?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Will you indeed take no less than a hundred and fifty?
plural of “jew” — a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading “By Saint John of Beverley!” cried the merchant.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Will you indeed take no less than a hundred and fifty?
A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.
From this reading “By Saint John of Beverley!” cried the merchant.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And fifty,” said Nigel.
not any; not one
From this reading Will you indeed take no less than a hundred and fifty?
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “By Saint John of Beverley!” cried the merchant.
the local environment
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
on the contrary
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “And fifty,” said Nigel.
a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization
From this reading “By Saint John of Beverley!” cried the merchant.
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
(Judaism) the place of worship for a Jewish congregation
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
carry out
From this reading Will you indeed take no less than a hundred and fifty?
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “By Saint John of Beverley!” cried the merchant.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading “And fifty,” whispered Aylward.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Will you indeed take no less than a hundred and fifty?
in the company of; together with
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I came hither from the North Country, and they are said to be shrewd at a deal in those parts; but I had rather bargain with a synagogue full of Jews than with you, for all your gentle ways.
Chapter 9 of Sir Nigel by Arthur Conan Doyle holds 172 sentences, grouped into 35 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 172 sentences of Sir Nigel, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Sir Nigel by Arthur Conan Doyle exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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 Sir Nigel by Arthur Conan Doyle on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6718 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2845 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2845, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 559 minutes of reading across 1344 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Sir Nigel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Sir Nigel 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 Sir Nigel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
