Chapter 9 of This Man's Wife is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of This Man's Wife is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Want to see me, Bayle? Business? Come in." The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool. "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
Chapter 9 of This Man's Wife is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes
From this reading “The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.”
furnished or closed with buttons or something buttonlike
From this reading “The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.”
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading “The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.”
past form of “screw” — have sexual intercourse with
From this reading “The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.”
an area that includes places where several people can sit
From this reading “"Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.”
a simple seat without a back or arms
From this reading “The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.”
third-person singular of “thicken” — make thick or thicker
From this reading “The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.”
plural of “wrinkle” — a slight depression or fold in the smoothness of a surface
From this reading “The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.”
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.
to come or go into
In this reading “Come in."”
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 "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
later than; following
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Want to see me, Bayle?
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading Business?
a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
furnished or closed with buttons or something buttonlike
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Come in."
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Come in."
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
immediately past
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Want to see me, Bayle?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
-ing form of “place” — put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
past form of “screw” — have sexual intercourse with
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
an area that includes places where several people can sit
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Want to see me, Bayle?
a simple seat without a back or arms
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
third-person singular of “thicken” — make thick or thicker
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Want to see me, Bayle?
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
someone who visits
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "Want to see me, Bayle?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
(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 "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
plural of “wrinkle” — a slight depression or fold in the smoothness of a surface
From this reading The door closed behind the curate, and James Thickens screwed his face into wrinkles, and buttoned his coat up to the last button, as he seated himself upon his stool.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Well, what can I do for you, Bayle?" said Hallam, seating himself at his table, after placing a chair for his visitor, which was not taken.
Chapter 9 of This Man's Wife by George Manville Fenn holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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.
Chapter 9 holds 414 sentences of This Man's Wife, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of This Man's Wife by George Manville Fenn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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.
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Yes. All 10274 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40676 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40676, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2055 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through This Man's Wife section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of This Man's Wife to begin.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in This Man's Wife, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
