The White Room

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of The White Room is here in full — 272 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Fergus Hume • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

MRS.

BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

This gentleman carried on the office work with three clerks, of which one was his son.

At a future date the younger Merry was to be admitted into the business, and at present was serving his articles.

Narrator

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.

Chapter IX Reading 1/54

The White Room

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of The White Room is here in full — 272 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/54 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

MRS.

/ˈmɪsɪz/

Line 2

BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

Line 3

There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

Line 4

This gentleman carried on the office work with three clerks, of which one was his son.

/ðɪs ˈdʒentəlmən ˈkærid ɑːn ðə ˈɔːfɪs wɜːrk wɪð θriː klɜːrks ʌv wɪtʃ wʌn wɑːz hɪz sʌn/

Line 5

At a future date the younger Merry was to be admitted into the business, and at present was serving his articles.

/æt ə ˈfjuːtʃər deɪt ðə ˈjʌŋɡər ˈmeri wɑːz tuː biː ədˈmɪtɪd ˈɪntuː ðə ˈbɪznəs ənd æt ˈprezənt wɑːz ˈsɜːrvɪŋ hɪz ˈɑːrtəkəlz/

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.

brand's noun US /brændz/

possessive form of “brand” — a name given to a product or service

From this reading “BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.”

buildings noun US /ˈbɪldɪŋz/

plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading “BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.”

clerks noun US /klɜːrks/

plural of “clerk” — an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

From this reading “This gentleman carried on the office work with three clerks, of which one was his son.”

dingy adjective US /ˈdɪndʒi/

thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot

From this reading “BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.”

executors noun US /ɪɡˈzekjətərz/

plural of “executor” — a person appointed by a testator to carry out the terms of the will

From this reading “There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.”

Milton noun US /ˈmɪltən/

English poet; remembered primarily as the author of an epic poem describing humanity's fall from grace (1608-1674)

From this reading “BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.”

representative noun US /ˌreprəˈzentətɪv/

a person who represents others

From this reading “There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.”

serving noun US /ˈsɜːrvɪŋ/

an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal

From this reading “At a future date the younger Merry was to be admitted into the business, and at present was serving his articles.”

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.

ground floor noun + noun

the floor of a building that is at or nearest to the level of the ground around the building

In this reading “BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.”

on the ground preposition + article + noun counted as “on … ground”

In this reading “BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.”

carried on verb + particle counted as “carry on”

direct the course of; manage or control

In this reading “This gentleman carried on the office work with three clerks, of which one was his son.”

admitted into verb + particle counted as “admit into”

In this reading “At a future date the younger Merry was to be admitted into the business, and at present was serving his articles.”

All words in this reading · 52

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 BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

admittedverbUS /ədˈmɪtɪd/

inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading At a future date the younger Merry was to be admitted into the business, and at present was serving his articles.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

articlesnounUS /ˈɑːrtəkəlz/

plural of “article” — nonfictional prose forming an independent part of a publication

From this reading At a future date the younger Merry was to be admitted into the business, and at present was serving his articles.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At a future date the younger Merry was to be admitted into the business, and at present was serving his articles.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading At a future date the younger Merry was to be admitted into the business, and at present was serving his articles.

BRAND'SnounUS /brændz/

possessive form of “brand” — a name given to a product or service

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

buildingsnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋz/

plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading This gentleman carried on the office work with three clerks, of which one was his son.

clerksnounUS /klɜːrks/

plural of “clerk” — an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

From this reading This gentleman carried on the office work with three clerks, of which one was his son.

datenounUS /deɪt/

the specified day of the month

From this reading At a future date the younger Merry was to be admitted into the business, and at present was serving his articles.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

dingyadjectiveUS /ˈdɪndʒi/

thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

disposedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspoʊzd/

having made preparations

From this reading There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

executorsnounUS /ɪɡˈzekjətərz/

plural of “executor” — a person appointed by a testator to carry out the terms of the will

From this reading There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

firmadjectiveUS /fɜːrm/

marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

From this reading There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

futureadjectiveUS /ˈfjuːtʃər/

yet to be or coming

From this reading At a future date the younger Merry was to be admitted into the business, and at present was serving his articles.

gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading This gentleman carried on the office work with three clerks, of which one was his son.

groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading At a future date the younger Merry was to be admitted into the business, and at present was serving his articles.

Laing

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

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

MerryadjectiveUS /ˈmeri/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

MiltonnounUS /ˈmɪltən/

English poet; remembered primarily as the author of an epic poem describing humanity's fall from grace (1608-1674)

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

MRSnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading MRS.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

pilenounUS /paɪl/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading At a future date the younger Merry was to be admitted into the business, and at present was serving his articles.

representativenounUS /ˌreprəˈzentətɪv/

a person who represents others

From this reading There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

servingnounUS /ˈsɜːrvɪŋ/

an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal

From this reading At a future date the younger Merry was to be admitted into the business, and at present was serving his articles.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading This gentleman carried on the office work with three clerks, of which one was his son.

StreetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This gentleman carried on the office work with three clerks, of which one was his son.

threenounUS /θriː/

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

From this reading This gentleman carried on the office work with three clerks, of which one was his son.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading There was only one representative of the firm, as Laing was dead, and his executors had disposed of the business to Merry.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading This gentleman carried on the office work with three clerks, of which one was his son.

WILLmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading BRAND'S WILL The office of Laing and Merry was in Milton Street, on the ground floor of a dingy pile of buildings.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading This gentleman carried on the office work with three clerks, of which one was his son.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading This gentleman carried on the office work with three clerks, of which one was his son.

youngeradjectiveUS /ˈjʌŋɡər/

used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father

From this reading At a future date the younger Merry was to be admitted into the business, and at present was serving his articles.

Chapter 9 of The White Room by Fergus Hume holds 272 sentences, grouped into 55 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 The White Room contain?

Chapter 9 holds 272 sentences of The White Room, unabridged, divided into 55 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of The White Room by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 272 sentences, grouped into 55 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 The White Room?

Work through the 55 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 55 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 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #55101, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Chapter IX

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