Chapter 9 of The Ambassadors is here in full — 232 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Ambassadors is here in full — 232 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me. Bilham, however,” he pursued, “will report favourably—favourably for Chad. That will make him not afraid to come. I want you the more therefore, you see, for my bluff.” “Oh you’ll do yourself for your bluff.”
Chapter 9 of The Ambassadors is here in full — 232 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/46 · 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.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading “That will make him not afraid to come.”
a high steep bank (usually formed by river erosion)
From this reading “I want you the more therefore, you see, for my bluff.””
a small piece of paper that is supposed to be removed when a hole is punched in a card or paper tape
From this reading “Bilham, however,” he pursued, “will report favourably—favourably for Chad.”
a person who is being chased
From this reading “Bilham, however,” he pursued, “will report favourably—favourably for Chad.”
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading “Bilham, however,” he pursued, “will report favourably—favourably for Chad.”
for that reason; as a result
From this reading “I want you the more therefore, you see, for my bluff.””
produce a literary work
From this reading ““When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me.”
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading ““Oh you’ll do yourself for your bluff.””
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading That will make him not afraid to come.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me.
a high steep bank (usually formed by river erosion)
From this reading I want you the more therefore, you see, for my bluff.”
a small piece of paper that is supposed to be removed when a hole is punched in a card or paper tape
From this reading Bilham, however,” he pursued, “will report favourably—favourably for Chad.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading That will make him not afraid to come.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Oh you’ll do yourself for your bluff.”
showing approval
From this reading Bilham, however,” he pursued, “will report favourably—favourably for Chad.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Bilham, however,” he pursued, “will report favourably—favourably for Chad.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Bilham, however,” he pursued, “will report favourably—favourably for Chad.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading “When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Bilham, however,” he pursued, “will report favourably—favourably for Chad.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I want you the more therefore, you see, for my bluff.”
engage in
From this reading That will make him not afraid to come.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading I want you the more therefore, you see, for my bluff.”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I want you the more therefore, you see, for my bluff.”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading That will make him not afraid to come.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh you’ll do yourself for your bluff.”
a person who is being chased
From this reading Bilham, however,” he pursued, “will report favourably—favourably for Chad.
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading Bilham, however,” he pursued, “will report favourably—favourably for Chad.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I want you the more therefore, you see, for my bluff.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That will make him not afraid to come.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I want you the more therefore, you see, for my bluff.”
for that reason; as a result
From this reading I want you the more therefore, you see, for my bluff.”
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading I want you the more therefore, you see, for my bluff.”
at the time that
From this reading “When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Bilham, however,” he pursued, “will report favourably—favourably for Chad.
produce a literary work
From this reading “When Bilham has had time to write him, and hear from him about me.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I want you the more therefore, you see, for my bluff.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh you’ll do yourself for your bluff.”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Oh you’ll do yourself for your bluff.”
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading “Oh you’ll do yourself for your bluff.”
Chapter 9 of The Ambassadors by Henry James holds 232 sentences, grouped into 47 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 232 sentences of The Ambassadors, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Ambassadors by Henry James exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 232 sentences, grouped into 47 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 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 47 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 The Ambassadors by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9031 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #432 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #432, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1807 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Ambassadors section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Ambassadors 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 The Ambassadors, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
