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The Vicar of Bullhampton
The Vicar of Bullhampton

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The Vicar of Bullhampton is here in full — 502 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/100 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MYSELF?
Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.
How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so much to tell.
And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.
In his way, Parson John was a crafty man, who was always doing a turn of business.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Vicar of Bullhampton

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of The Vicar of Bullhampton is here in full — 502 sentences across 101 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/100 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MYSELF?
/wʌt ʃæl aɪ duː wɪð ˌmaɪˈself/
Line 2
Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.
Line 3
How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so much to tell.
Line 4
And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.
Line 5
In his way, Parson John was a crafty man, who was always doing a turn of business.
/ɪn hɪz weɪ ˈpɑːrsən dʒɑːn wɑːz ə ˈkræfti mæn huː wɑːz ˈɔːlweɪz ˈduːɪŋ ə tɜːrn ʌv ˈbɪznəs/

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.

aware adjective US /əˈwer/

(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception

From this reading “And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.”

crafty adjective US /ˈkræfti/

marked by skill in deception

From this reading “In his way, Parson John was a crafty man, who was always doing a turn of business.”

doings noun US /ˈduːɪŋz/

manner of acting or controlling yourself

From this reading “Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.”

equally adverb US /ˈiːkwəli/

to the same degree (often followed by “as”)

From this reading “Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.”

gossip noun US /ˈɡɑːsəp/

light informal conversation for social occasions

From this reading “And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.”

nephew noun US /ˈnefjuː/

a son of your brother or sister

From this reading “Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.”

Parson noun US /ˈpɑːrsən/

a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading “Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.”

reticent adjective US /ˈretɪsənt/

temperamentally disinclined to talk

From this reading “Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.”

All words in this reading · 66

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 In his way, Parson John was a crafty man, who was always doing a turn of business.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading In his way, Parson John was a crafty man, who was always doing a turn of business.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

awareadjectiveUS /əˈwer/

(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception

From this reading And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading In his way, Parson John was a crafty man, who was always doing a turn of business.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so much to tell.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so much to tell.

craftyadjectiveUS /ˈkræfti/

marked by skill in deception

From this reading In his way, Parson John was a crafty man, who was always doing a turn of business.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so much to tell.

DOauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MYSELF?

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading In his way, Parson John was a crafty man, who was always doing a turn of business.

doingsnounUS /ˈduːɪŋz/

manner of acting or controlling yourself

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

Dunripple

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

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

equallyadverbUS /ˈiːkwəli/

to the same degree (often followed by “as”)

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so much to tell.

gossipnounUS /ˈɡɑːsəp/

light informal conversation for social occasions

From this reading And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so much to tell.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

How

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

From this reading How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so much to tell.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MYSELF?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.

lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/

the literary culture

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

Loring

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

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading In his way, Parson John was a crafty man, who was always doing a turn of business.

Marrable

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

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so much to tell.

MYSELFpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MYSELF?

nephewnounUS /ˈnefjuː/

a son of your brother or sister

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so much to tell.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so much to tell.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

objectnounUS /ˈɑːbdʒekt/

a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

From this reading And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

ParsonnounUS /ˈpɑːrsən/

a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

reticentadjectiveUS /ˈretɪsənt/

temperamentally disinclined to talk

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so much to tell.

SHALLmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MYSELF?

simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so much to tell.

speechnounUS /spiːtʃ/

the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so much to tell.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading In his way, Parson John was a crafty man, who was always doing a turn of business.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Parson John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at Dunripple.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading In his way, Parson John was a crafty man, who was always doing a turn of business.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.

WHATpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MYSELF?

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object.

WITHprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MYSELF?

Chapter 21 of The Vicar of Bullhampton by Anthony Trollope holds 502 sentences, grouped into 101 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 21 of The Vicar of Bullhampton contain?

Chapter 21 holds 502 sentences of The Vicar of Bullhampton, unabridged, divided into 101 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of The Vicar of Bullhampton by Anthony Trollope exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 502 sentences, grouped into 101 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 21 of The Vicar of Bullhampton?

Work through the 101 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 101 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 The Vicar of Bullhampton

Common questions about reading The Vicar of Bullhampton by Anthony Trollope on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Vicar of Bullhampton?

Yes. All 11249 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26541 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Vicar of Bullhampton is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26541, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Vicar of Bullhampton take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2250 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Vicar of Bullhampton section by section

How to work through The Vicar of Bullhampton section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in The Vicar of Bullhampton

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Vicar of Bullhampton, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Vicar
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vicar of Bullhampton; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bullhampton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vicar of Bullhampton; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Anthony
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vicar of Bullhampton; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Trollope
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vicar of Bullhampton; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.