Chapter 5 of To the Highest Bidder is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of To the Highest Bidder is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily. Mr. Bellows had been making a rapid mental calculation. “W’y, I don’ know,” he said, scratching his head reflectively. “I don’t want to go int’ no fool job fer nothin’. M’ time’s valu’ble.”
Chapter 5 of To the Highest Bidder is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
(used in the plural) a mechanical device that blows a strong current of air; used to make a fire burn more fiercely or to sound a musical instrument
From this reading “Mr. Bellows had been making a rapid mental calculation.”
the procedure of calculating; determining something by mathematical or logical methods
From this reading “Mr. Bellows had been making a rapid mental calculation.”
having an eye or eyes or eyelike feature especially as specified; often used in combination
From this reading “The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.”
shaped or worked with a hammer and often showing hammer marks
From this reading “The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.”
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading “The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.”
a harsh noise made by scraping
From this reading ““W’y, I don’ know,” he said, scratching his head reflectively.”
plural of “temple” — place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading “The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.”
possessive form of “time” — an instance or single occasion for some event
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.
In this reading “Mr. Bellows had been making a rapid mental calculation.”
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 Mr. Bellows had been making a rapid mental calculation.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Mr. Bellows had been making a rapid mental calculation.
(used in the plural) a mechanical device that blows a strong current of air; used to make a fire burn more fiercely or to sound a musical instrument
From this reading Mr. Bellows had been making a rapid mental calculation.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
the procedure of calculating; determining something by mathematical or logical methods
From this reading Mr. Bellows had been making a rapid mental calculation.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
a Spanish gentleman or nobleman
From this reading “W’y, I don’ know,” he said, scratching his head reflectively.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I don’t want to go int’ no fool job fer nothin’.
having an eye or eyes or eyelike feature especially as specified; often used in combination
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I don’t want to go int’ no fool job fer nothin’.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “I don’t want to go int’ no fool job fer nothin’.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “I don’t want to go int’ no fool job fer nothin’.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mr. Bellows had been making a rapid mental calculation.
shaped or worked with a hammer and often showing hammer marks
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “W’y, I don’ know,” he said, scratching his head reflectively.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading “W’y, I don’ know,” he said, scratching his head reflectively.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “W’y, I don’ know,” he said, scratching his head reflectively.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “W’y, I don’ know,” he said, scratching his head reflectively.
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I don’t want to go int’ no fool job fer nothin’.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading “I don’t want to go int’ no fool job fer nothin’.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “W’y, I don’ know,” he said, scratching his head reflectively.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading M’ time’s valu’ble.”
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Mr. Bellows had been making a rapid mental calculation.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
involving the mind or an intellectual process
From this reading Mr. Bellows had been making a rapid mental calculation.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mr. Bellows had been making a rapid mental calculation.
not any; not one
From this reading “I don’t want to go int’ no fool job fer nothin’.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I don’t want to go int’ no fool job fer nothin’.
done or occurring in a brief period of time
From this reading Mr. Bellows had been making a rapid mental calculation.
in a reflective manner
From this reading “W’y, I don’ know,” he said, scratching his head reflectively.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “W’y, I don’ know,” he said, scratching his head reflectively.
a harsh noise made by scraping
From this reading “W’y, I don’ know,” he said, scratching his head reflectively.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
at a steady rate or pace
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
plural of “temple” — place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
possessive form of “time” — an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading M’ time’s valu’ble.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I don’t want to go int’ no fool job fer nothin’.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading M’ time’s valu’ble.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “W’y, I don’ know,” he said, scratching his head reflectively.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “I don’t want to go int’ no fool job fer nothin’.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The blood hammered in her temples; her hands and feet were icy cold; but she eyed the man steadily.
Chapter 5 of To the Highest Bidder by Florence Morse Kingsley holds 419 sentences, grouped into 84 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 5 holds 419 sentences of To the Highest Bidder, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of To the Highest Bidder by Florence Morse Kingsley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 419 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 5 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 To the Highest Bidder by Florence Morse Kingsley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4909 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51797 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #51797, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 409 minutes of reading across 982 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through To the Highest Bidder section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of To the Highest Bidder 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 To the Highest Bidder, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
