The Record of Nicholas Freydon

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Record of Nicholas Freydon is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By A. J. (Alec John) Dawson • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Record of Nicholas Freydon

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Many years have passed since I set eyes on Mr. Smith, and no doubt he has long since been gathered to his fathers; but I believe I am right in saying that his was a rather remarkable character.

I know now that he really was a dipsomaniac of a somewhat unusual kind.

At ordinary times he touched no stimulant of any sort.

But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.

To what place he went I do not know.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter VII Reading 1/79

The Record of Nicholas Freydon

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Record of Nicholas Freydon is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Many years have passed since I set eyes on Mr. Smith, and no doubt he has long since been gathered to his fathers; but I believe I am right in saying that his was a rather remarkable character.

/ˈmeni jɪrz hæv pæst sɪns aɪ set aɪz ɑːn ˈmɪstər smɪθ ənd noʊ daʊt hiː hæz lɔːŋ sɪns bɪn ˈɡæðərd tuː hɪz ˈfɑːðərz bʌt aɪ bɪˈliːv aɪ æm raɪt ɪn ˈseɪɪŋ ðæt hɪz wɑːz ə ˈræðər rɪˈmɑːrkəbəl ˈkerɪktər/

Line 2

I know now that he really was a dipsomaniac of a somewhat unusual kind.

Line 3

At ordinary times he touched no stimulant of any sort.

/æt ˈɔːrdəneri taɪmz hiː tʌtʃt noʊ ˈstɪmjələnt ʌv ˈeni sɔːrt/

Line 4

But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.

/bʌt æt ˈɪntərvəlz ʌv əˈbaʊt θriː mʌnθs hiː ˌdɪsəˈpɪrd kwaɪt ˈreɡjələrli ənd məˈθɑːdɪkəli ənd ˈɔːlweɪz wɪð ə ˈhændbæɡ/

Line 5

To what place he went I do not know.

/tuː wʌt pleɪs hiː went aɪ duː nɑːt noʊ/

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.

fathers noun US /ˈfɑːðərz/

plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading “Many years have passed since I set eyes on Mr. Smith, and no doubt he has long since been gathered to his fathers; but I believe I am right in saying that his was a rather remarkable character.”

handbag noun US /ˈhændbæɡ/

a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women)

From this reading “But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.”

intervals noun US /ˈɪntərvəlz/

plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants

From this reading “But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.”

methodically adverb US /məˈθɑːdɪkəli/

in a methodical manner

From this reading “But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.”

regularly adverb US /ˈreɡjələrli/

in a regular manner

From this reading “But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.”

remarkable adjective US /rɪˈmɑːrkəbəl/

unusual or striking

stimulant noun US /ˈstɪmjələnt/

any stimulating information or event; acts to arouse action

From this reading “At ordinary times he touched no stimulant of any sort.”

unusual adjective US /əˈnjuːʒuːəl/

not usual or common or ordinary

From this reading “I know now that he really was a dipsomaniac of a somewhat unusual kind.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

three months noun + noun counted as “three month”

In this reading “But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.”

Many years adjective + noun

In this reading “Many years have passed since I set eyes on Mr. Smith, and no doubt he has long since been gathered to his fathers; but I believe I am right in saying that his was a rather remarkable character.”

somewhat unusual adverb + adjective

In this reading “I know now that he really was a dipsomaniac of a somewhat unusual kind.”

at intervals preposition + noun counted as “at interval”

In this reading “But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.”

remarkable character adjective + noun

ordinary times noun + noun

In this reading “At ordinary times he touched no stimulant of any sort.”

rather remarkable adverb + adjective

passed since verb + particle counted as “pass since”

All words in this reading · 65

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 Many years have passed since I set eyes on Mr. Smith, and no doubt he has long since been gathered to his fathers; but I believe I am right in saying that his was a rather remarkable character.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading At ordinary times he touched no stimulant of any sort.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At ordinary times he touched no stimulant of any sort.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

characternounUS /ˈkerɪktər/

an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

dipsomaniacnoun

a person who drinks alcohol to excess habitually

From this reading I know now that he really was a dipsomaniac of a somewhat unusual kind.

disappearedverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrd/

past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation

From this reading But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading To what place he went I do not know.

doubtnounUS /daʊt/

the state of being unsure of something

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

fathersnounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

gatheredadjectiveUS /ˈɡæðərd/

brought together in one place

handbagnounUS /ˈhændbæɡ/

a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women)

From this reading But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

intervalsnounUS /ˈɪntərvəlz/

plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants

From this reading But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading I know now that he really was a dipsomaniac of a somewhat unusual kind.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading I know now that he really was a dipsomaniac of a somewhat unusual kind.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

ManyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

methodicallyadverbUS /məˈθɑːdɪkəli/

in a methodical manner

From this reading But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading To what place he went I do not know.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading I know now that he really was a dipsomaniac of a somewhat unusual kind.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I know now that he really was a dipsomaniac of a somewhat unusual kind.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

ordinarynounUS /ˈɔːrdəneri/

a judge of a probate court

From this reading At ordinary times he touched no stimulant of any sort.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading To what place he went I do not know.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading I know now that he really was a dipsomaniac of a somewhat unusual kind.

regularlyadverbUS /ˈreɡjələrli/

in a regular manner

From this reading But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.

remarkableadjectiveUS /rɪˈmɑːrkəbəl/

unusual or striking

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

sayingnounUS /ˈseɪɪŋ/

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

SmithnounUS /smɪθ/

Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

somewhatadverbUS /ˈsʌmˈwʌt/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading I know now that he really was a dipsomaniac of a somewhat unusual kind.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading At ordinary times he touched no stimulant of any sort.

stimulantnounUS /ˈstɪmjələnt/

any stimulating information or event; acts to arouse action

From this reading At ordinary times he touched no stimulant of any sort.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading At ordinary times he touched no stimulant of any sort.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

touchedadjectiveUS /tʌtʃt/

having come into contact

From this reading At ordinary times he touched no stimulant of any sort.

unusualadjectiveUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəl/

not usual or common or ordinary

From this reading I know now that he really was a dipsomaniac of a somewhat unusual kind.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading To what place he went I do not know.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading To what place he went I do not know.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading But at intervals of about three months he disappeared, quite regularly and methodically, and always with a handbag.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

Chapter 7 of The Record of Nicholas Freydon by A. J. (Alec John) Dawson holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 7 of The Record of Nicholas Freydon contain?

Chapter 7 holds 398 sentences of The Record of Nicholas Freydon, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of The Record of Nicholas Freydon by A. J. (Alec John) Dawson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 7 of The Record of Nicholas Freydon?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #30704, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Chapter VII

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